Japan has threatened to shoot down any projectile posing a risk to its territory after North Korea signalled its intention to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite within the next two weeks.
Japan’s defence ministry said on Monday that it had put its ballistic missile defences on alert and was preparing “destructive measures” after Pyongyang made a rare notification through the International Maritime Organization of a satellite launch planned between May 31 and June 11.
North Korea last month claimed to have completed work on its first-ever military reconnaissance satellite, as leader Kim Jong Un develops the breadth and sophistication of his country’s weapons programmes.