Japan to shoot down North Korea rocket if need be | WPN World People News

Japan Friday ordered its military to be prepared for an eventual interception of a North Korean missile, to be launched allegedly under the disguise of a satellite launch in the middle of April.

Defence Minister Naoki Tanaka told reporters here that he had received cabinet approval to shoot down the North Korean rocket if necessary.

The order from the defence minister came after a cabinet meeting and was issued at another meeting of the national security council which said the interceptor missile would be fired if Japan finds that a failed launch, or a falling stage of the rocket, could endanger Japanese lives or property.

North Korea is to launch the Unha-3 rocket between April 12 and 16. It is expected to fly past western Japan, raising concerns that it would pose a threat to Japanese territory.

Cabinet secretary Osamu Fujimura urged people to stay calm and said the military was preparing "just in case" there appears any threat.

"We don't believe anything would fall over Japan's territory. Please carry out your daily lives and business as usual," Fujimura said.

An official statement said destroyers equipped with Aegis missile defence systems would be sent to the Pacific and East China Sea and mobile Patriot missile launchers would be deployed in the islands in Okinawa.

An interceptor missile unit will also be deployed in Tokyo.

North Korea has repeatedly said it was sending a satellite into orbit for scientific research and 'peaceful purposes.

But Japan, the US, South Korea and other countries have expressed fears that Pyongyang was also seeking to test the capabilities of its long-range missiles, in violation of international agreements.

South Korea has also warned it might shoot down any North Korean rocket if it strays into its territory.

Source: Asia Pacific News.Net