North Korean missiles may be capable of delivering sarin nerve gas, says Japan’s prime minister amid concerns that the hermit state may respond to the US naval buildup in the region ahead of the 105th birthday of its late ruler Kim Il-sung.
Speaking to lawmakers, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there is possibility that North Korea already has the capacity to equip missile warheads with sarin projectiles, according to Nikkei Asia Review.
He maintained that Pyongyang is rapidly improving its nuclear and missile technology, urging the international community “to stay united and make a drastic change in the way North Korea moves towards a dangerous road.” Abe said the Japanese Self-Defense Force has no emergency plan in that regard, but stressed “the deterrent of the US-Japan alliance.”
Later in the day, chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said North Korea possesses “large stockpiles” of chemical weapons as well as industrial facilities to produce them, according to TASS.
The alarming news comes amid a massive US military build-up near the Korean Peninsula, the largest for several years. Previously, US President Donald Trump threatened to take unilateral action against Pyongyang with or without support from regional powers, ordering the aircraft carrier group ‘USS Carl Vinson’ to execute a show of force near North Korean waters.
This week, the White House issued another bellicose statement, saying US military assets in the region are not limited to the surface fleet. During a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, Trump told Xi he should inform North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that the US “doesn’ t just have aircraft carriers, but also nuclear submarines, ” according to Wall Street Journal.
“You cannot allow a country like that to have nuclear power, nuclear weapons, ” Trump said.
