(Tokyo) The Japanese Coast Guard announced Monday that North Korea has notified Tokyo of a satellite launch in the coming weeks, a project the Japanese government said should include a ballistic missile launch.
Pyongyang told the Japanese Coast Guard that a missile will be launched between May 31 and June 11 and is expected to land in an area near the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the east of the island. From Luzon, Philippines, a Coast Guard spokesperson told AFP.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office said on its Twitter account that it had given instructions regarding “notifying North Korea of the launch of a ballistic missile, which it describes as a satellite.”
Kishida ordered relevant ministries and agencies to cooperate in intelligence gathering, while calling for vigilance and cooperation with Japan’s allies, including the United States and South Korea, according to the tweet.
Shoot down any ballistic missile
Japan’s Ministry of Defense responded by ordering the Air Self-Defense Force to shoot down any ballistic missile confirmed to have landed in inland waters.
The Defense Department said SM-3 interceptors and PAC-3 Patriot missiles would be deployed for this purpose.
“Even if it is described as a satellite, a launch using ballistic missile technology would constitute a violation of United Nations security resolutions and a serious issue threatening people’s safety,” Kishida said.
Pyongyang has stepped up its missile strikes in recent months, some of which triggered emergency warning systems in Japan.
Seoul and Tokyo have been trying to warm up long-strained relations over the past few weeks, including by working more together on North Korea’s military threats.
Asked about possible negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the Japanese prime minister on Monday nevertheless reiterated that Tokyo is open to discussions, adding that he wants “concrete progress” to be made.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency has published a statement by North Korea’s vice foreign minister that appears to endorse a conciliatory approach to relations with Japan, an unusual stance on the part of Pyongyang.
According to Pak Sang-gil’s statement, if Japan avoids being “hampered by the past and seeks a solution to improve relations, there is no reason why the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, editor’s note) and Japan should not “meet.”
