Japan considers North Korea's ballistic missile development a threat

JAKARTA - Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the acceleration of North Korea's weapons development posed an increasingly urgent threat to national security, following a series of tests carried out by Pyongyang earlier this week.

Koizumi made the statement while answering questions at a press conference regarding a North Korean media report on Thursday (9/4), which stated that the country tested various weapons systems, including ballistic missiles armed with cluster bomb warheads, for three days from Monday (6/4) to Wednesday (8/4).

Describing North Korea's military activities as "an increasingly serious and urgent threat" to Japan's national security, Koizumi added that North Korea was also strengthening its conventional forces.

"We consider North Korea's nuclear and missile development, including the latest launch, as a threat to the peace and security of Japan and the international community, and it is something we cannot accept," Koizumi said.

Previously, Wednesday, the South Korean military said it had detected several ballistic missiles fired from North Korea towards the Sea of Japan.

Koizumi assured that Japan would continue to work closely with the United States, South Korea, and the wider international community to ensure full implementation of the UN Security Council resolution prohibiting North Korea from using ballistic missile technology.

Separately, Koizumi declined to comment on Russia's protest delivered earlier this week regarding the investment of a Japanese unmanned aircraft company in a Ukrainian company that manufactures anti-aircraft missiles. The reason is that it is related to the sensitivity of diplomatic exchanges and private sector activities.

When asked about the potential acquisition of Ukrainian-made drones in the future, Koizumi said procurement decisions were made through fair and transparent procedures and considered operational, cost, maintenance, and security environment requirements, without assuming purchases from a specific country.