Kim ‘still threat’ to Japan

JAPAN says North Korea still poses a dire threat to its security despite a halt to ballistic missile tests and a pledge by leader Kim Jong-un to denuclearise the Korean peninsula.

“North Korea’s military activities pose the most serious and pressing threat our nation has faced,” said an annual white paper published yesterday by Japan’s Ministry of Defence.

The document outlines se- curity concerns about nuclear-armed North Korea, China’s growing military might and territorial ambitions, and Russia’s intent to rebuild its power that paint a picture of Japan surrounded by potential adversaries in East Asia.

The latest security assess- ment also comes after US President Donald Trump abruptly cancelled a planned fourth trip by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang this week as part of a fresh bid to push North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles following the unprecedented summit between Mr Trump and Mr Kim in Singapore in June.

The American president hailed his meeting with Mr Kim as a success and agreed to halt joint military exercises with South Korea.

The North Korean leader reiterated an earlier pledge to work towards removing nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula. But negotiations have since ground to a halt.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said since the Singapore meeting that his country would not change its military stance towards its bel- ligerent neighbour until it saw concrete, irreversible and verifiable steps towards disarmament.

“We need to keep a careful watch on North Korea to see what concrete action it takes to abandon its nuclear weapons and missiles,” the Japanese defence paper said.

It noted that North Korea had conducted three nuclear tests and fired 40 ballistic missiles since the start of 2016, some of which have passed over Japan.

North Korea has derided Abe’s government as a “cult” bent on derailing Pyongyang’s diplomatic outreach in recent state media comments.

Japan said last month it planned to buy two Aegis Ashore air defence radar tracking stations from the US to bolster its defence against North Korean missiles.

Picture: AP US President Donald Trump wants a hug from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Who knew? But that is what Mr Trump said in an unusual public speakerphone conversation with the Mexican leader.First, the White House had to overcome technical difficulties to get him on the line so the leaders could celebrate yesterday’s announcement of a preliminary agreement between their countries on a deal Mr Trump hopes will supersede the North American Free Trade Agreement.Mr Nieto ended the call by saying he was sending his American counterpart an “affectionate hug.”Mr Trump said that a hug would be “very nice.”Relations between the leaders, pictured, have been strained since Mr Trump blasted Mexicans as drug dealers and rapists, and insisted Mexico pay for his border wall.

Kim Jong-un