Japan Is Still On High Alert For North Korean Rocket Launch

Despite the North’s deadline for satellite launch having passed, Japan will continue to be on high alert for the potential launch of a missile, a top government spokesperson said on Monday.

“Given that North Korea has said it will conduct a second launch as soon as possible, we believe the country may continue to attempt launches using ballistic missile technology,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference.

“We will build an appropriate posture based on comprehensive analysis and evaluation of various information to respond to any situation,” said Matsuno.

He further decried Pyongyang’s effort at launch, adding, “Even though North Korea intended to launch a satellite, it violates UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting any launch by North Korea using ballistic missile technology.”

The North informed Japan that it intended to launch a satellite between May 31 and Saturday midnight.

The nation attempted to launch a military espionage satellite on May 31 but was unsuccessful owing to an engine issue. The nation promised to try again “as soon as possible.”

The Self-Defense Forces were given a temporary order to destroy any North Korean projectile that poses a threat to Japanese land, according to the Defense Ministry on Sunday. Matsuno omitted to mention the length of the extended period.

In southern Japan, the Ministry has placed Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles on the ground.

In the East China Sea, close to the predicted rocket path, it has also sent out Aegis destroyers outfitted with Standard Missile-3 interceptor systems.

North Korea has come under fire for defying UN Security Council resolutions intended to halt the country’s missile and nuclear programs by utilizing ballistic missile technology to launch a satellite.

North Korea berated the IMO for passing a resolution denouncing the nation over the most recent launch earlier this month and said that the upcoming launch would take place without prior notification.

Detecting any surprise assaults from the United States and South Korea, according to Pyongyang, requires the use of a military reconnaissance satellite. Since the 1950–1953 Korean War concluded in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, the North and South are still formally at war.