Japan says N Korea weapons buildup increasingly urgent threat

TOKYO — Japan's defense minister said Friday that North Korea's accelerating weapons development poses an increasingly urgent threat to national security, following Pyongyang's testing spree earlier this week.

Shinjiro Koizumi made the remark as he was asked during a press conference about a North Korean media report the previous day that said the country tested multiple weapons systems, including a ballistic missile armed with a cluster-bomb warhead, over three days through Wednesday.

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

"We view North Korea's nuclear and missile development, including the latest launches, as a threat to the peace and security of Japan and the international community, and something we can't accept," he said.

South Korea's military on Wednesday said it detected several ballistic missiles fired from North Korea toward the Sea of Japan.

Japan will continue to work closely with the United States, South Korea and the broader international community to ensure full implementation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning North Korea from using ballistic missile technology, Koizumi said.

Separately, Koizumi declined to comment on Russia's protest made earlier this week over a Japanese drone company's investment in a Ukrainian firm developing interceptor drones, citing the sensitive nature of diplomatic exchanges and private-sector activities.

Asked about the potential future acquisition of Ukrainian-made drones, Koizumi said procurement decisions are made through fair and transparent procedures, taking into account operational requirements, cost, maintenance and the security environment, without presuming purchases from any specific country.

© KYODO