We asked Kazufumi Yasunaga, the International Department's desk, and Masashi Ota, a reporter from the Political Department, about North Korea's intentions and Japan's response to North Korea's missile launches.
What are North Korea's intentions?
(Yasunaga Desk)
1 Are missile launches becoming more frequent?
North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the suburbs of its capital, Pyongyang, toward the Sea of Japan on October 1. Since the beginning of this year, North Korea has launched 23 missiles, including cruise missiles, at an unusually high frequency. is repeated.
A medium-range ballistic missile was launched toward the Sea of Japan on January 30 from near Mupyongri in Chagang Province in the north, where North Korea launched a ballistic missile on the 4th.
At this time, the altitude reached about 2000 km and the flight distance was about 800 km.
The next day, on the 31st, North Korea announced that it had launched a medium-range ballistic missile "Hwasong-12" on a "lofted trajectory" that launches higher than usual at an angle.
2 What are North Korea's intentions?
South Korea's military said North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile.
The missile has a flight range of about 4,500 kilometers, and South Korean experts have in mind the distance to Guam, which is home to the Andersen Air Base, a strategic base for US forces in the Asia-Pacific region and a strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons. There is a view that it was a launch.
In the Sea of Japan, the U.S. and South Korean forces conducted joint exercises for four days until the 29th of last month, with the participation of a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. It was done for the first time.
In response to this, in the early hours of the 4th in Japan time, at a committee of the United Nations General Assembly, the representative of North Korea said, "The ultimate aim of the US government is to overthrow the government by putting pressure on us." While condemning it, it justified its nuclear and missile development.
3 What is your future focus?
For North Korea, ballistic missile and nuclear development are being pursued as two wheels of a cart.
North Korea is aiming to reduce the size and weight of nuclear warheads in order to develop "tactical nuclear weapons" with reduced output that can locally attack military bases. It indicates that the nuclear test may be conducted after the Chinese Communist Party Congress, which starts on the 16th of this month, and by the US midterm elections next month.
With the conflict between the United States, Europe, Russia and China deepening over Ukraine and Taiwan, and the United Nations Security Council becoming dysfunctional, North Korea is poised to accelerate its nuclear and missile development ahead of schedule.
Ahead of the anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea on October 10, there is a risk of escalating provocations, and relevant countries continue to be vigilant and monitor them.
What is Japan's response?
(Reporter Ota)
1 How does the government view North Korea's intentions?
Regarding North Korea's intentions, the government has said, "I would like to refrain from making a definitive answer." Since the joint training of the three countries was conducted, it shows the view that it is unilaterally escalating the provocation in response to it.
Last week, North Korea repeatedly launched ballistic missiles at an unprecedented frequency of four times in a week.
At this time, both were short-range ballistic missiles and fell outside Japan's EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).
And on the 4th, three days after the previous launch, it launched a ballistic missile that is considered to be a medium range and passed over Japan.
In other words, I think you can say that we have raised the level of provocation one step higher.
2 Is North Korea's missile technology improving?
The government believes that the related technology is improving with each launch.
So far, it has been repeatedly launched from submarines that are difficult to predict, and in irregular trajectories that are said to be difficult to intercept. It is considered
The government has decided to improve its response capabilities while taking into account these trends in North Korea, and plans to consider all options, including the possession of so-called counterattack capabilities, and work to drastically strengthen its defense capabilities.
3 What will the government do in the future?
The government takes very seriously that the missile passed over Japan.
Our policy is to respond resolutely while cooperating with the international community.
Following the launch, Foreign Minister Hayashi spoke with US Secretary of State Brinken over the phone for about 10 minutes.
During the consultations, the two foreign ministers condemned the launch over Japan as a grave and imminent threat to Japan's security and as a clear and serious threat to the international community as a whole.
In addition, it was confirmed that Japan, the United States, and Japan, the United States, and South Korea will continue to cooperate closely on further measures at the Security Council toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
In gathering and analyzing information centered on Japan, the United States, and South Korea, the government will take all possible measures to ensure vigilance and surveillance. I will continue to seek it.