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Japan’s Defense Ministry warned on Monday it would destroy any North Korean missile that enters its territory after Pyongyang notified the country of plans to launch a “satellite” between May 31 and June 11.
“We will take destructive measures against ballistic and other missiles that are confirmed to land in our territory,” Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
North Korea’s space development agency had said last year it would finish preparations for the reconnaissance satellite by April 2023.
A Japanese Coast Guard spokesman said the notification of the launch by Pyongyang came via email. It said North Korea plans to launch its satellite toward the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and east of Luzon, Philippines, in an area outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the spokesman said.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno also said Monday that any North Korean missile launch disguised as a “satellite” is a “threat” to the nation’s security.
If North Korea follows through on its plan to launch a missile, it would violate United Nations’ Security Council resolutions and be a “serious provocation”, Matsuno told reporters.
