Japan's defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on 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, Japan's defense minister, made the remark during a press conference on Friday when asked about a North Korean media report from the previous day. The report claimed Pyongyang tested multiple weapons systems, including a ballistic missile armed with a cluster-bomb warhead, over three days through Wednesday.
Describing North Korea's military activities as "an increasingly grave and urgent threat" to Japan's security, Koizumi noted that the country 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 detected several ballistic missiles fired from North Korea toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday. Japan will continue working 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 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. On potential future acquisition of Ukrainian-made drones, he said procurement decisions are made through fair and transparent procedures, considering operational requirements, cost, maintenance, and the security environment.
