Abe vows best efforts to protect people amid N. Korea threat

August 13, 2017

NAGATO, YAMAGUCHI PREF.- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed on Saturday to do everything to protect the people amid the growing missile threat of North Korea.

"We're doing all we can to protect the people's lives and their property," Abe told reporters during a visit to the western city of Nagato, a part of his constituency in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

With North Korea considering a plan to fire intermediate-range ballistic missiles over western Japan into waters around the US Pacific island territory of Guam, the Japanese government has decided to deploy Patriot Advanced Capability-3, or PAC-3, ground-to-air interceptor batteries in a total of four prefectures in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions.

Abe is scheduled to stay in Yamaguchi through Monday amid the Bon holiday period in the country.

On Saturday morning, he visited the grave of his father, former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe, in Nagato.

"I pledged (to my father) to make a fresh start and do all I can in national politics for the people," Abe said, apparently referring to a reshuffle of his cabinet last week.

Japan's Defense Ministry deployed Patriot Advanced Capability-3, or PAC-3, ground-to-air guided missiles at Ground Self-Defense Force bases in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions on Saturday, in response to North Korea's plan to fire ballistic missiles over western Japan to Guam.

PAC-3 interceptor units from the Air SDF's 4th Air Defense Missile Group based in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, left Friday night for the GSDF's Izumo, Kaitaichi, Matsuyama and Kochi bases in Shimane Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture, Ehime Prefecture and Kochi Prefecture, respectively.

The deployment is aimed at making Japan better prepared for contingencies, including North Korean missiles or their debris falling onto Japanese territory.

Earlier this week, North Korea warned that it is considering a plan to fire four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles over Shimane, Hiroshima and Kochi into waters around the US Pacific territory.

In its two-layer missile defense system, Japan also uses Standard Missile 3, or SM-3, interceptors mounted on Aegis-class destroyers of the Maritime SDF. Jiji Press