North Korean missiles now pose a “real threat”, Japan’s government said on Thursday as it stepped up its search for countermeasures, including potentially acquiring the capability for a first strike against Pyongyang’s missile bases.
Analysis of the four missiles North Korea launched on Monday has convinced Tokyo that a nuclear strike against one of its cities or a US military base is now a realistic possibility and that the country needs to strengthen its defences urgently.
The moves highlight how North Korea is destabilising East Asia. Earlier this week China warned that Pyongyang was on a collision course with the Trump administration and retaliated against South Korean business over Seoul’s installation of US defence systems.