N.korea actions are ‘imminent threat’

Japan needs to bolster its missile defences and its alliance with the United States, its government said yesterday in an annual defence review that judged North Korea to still be a serious threat since it has not taken any concrete step to denuclearise.

The defence paper, approved by the Cabinet, said Japan must add to its missile defence capabilities to be fully prepared while watching if North Korea keeps its promise. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a vague joint statement at their summit in June that included agreements to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula. Trump last week directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a planned trip to the North, citing insufficient progress.

North Korea tested intercontinental ballistic missiles last year, including launching some over Japan, and it deploys several hundred shorter-range Rodong missiles that capable of hitting Japan. The defence paper also says Pyongyang likely has made miniaturised nuclear warheads it can place atop ballistic missiles, an advancement of its nuclear capability North Korea has claimed to have achieved.

North Korea has increased the range, accuracy and versatility of its missiles and diversified its launch sites and methods over the past few years. The North has since 2016 conducted three nuclear tests and more than 40 missile tests, the paper said.

‘‘Its military actions have become unprecedentedly serious and imminent threat to Japan’s national security,’’ the paper said. ‘‘There is no change in our basic recognition about the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles.’’

While the United States is primarily concerned about the ICBMS that can reach its mainland, Japan is within range of North Korea’s smaller missiles.

–AP