Japan Inconsistent in Responses to N. Korean Missile Threat

June 25, 2018

Tokyo- The Japanese government is responding inconsistently to the perceived diminishing threat of North Korean missiles, calling off evacuation drills while at the same time pushing ahead with preparations to deploy the Aegis Ashore land-based missile shield.

At a news conference on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced that the government will forgo evacuation exercises planned in Tochigi Prefecture and other locations to protect the public from North Korean ballistic missiles.

Asked about the reasons for the decision, Suga cited the outcome of the historic meeting in Singapore this month between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but his explanations were not persuasive.

A senior official of the Defense Ministry said the possibility of an early missile test by North Korea is low while U.S.-North Korea dialogue is continuing.

But the ministry has not made this assessment clear since it upholds its policy of steadily deploying Aegis Ashore batteries.

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera visited Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures on Friday to brief their governors on his ministry's plan to deploy the missile defense system in the two prefectures. There is no change in the North Korean threat, he told the governors.

The deployment of Aegis Ashore batteries is expected to take at least five years to complete, according to Onodera.

The government plans to deploy the system in a scheduled manner so it can deal with changing situations, a senior official said.

The government responses have come under criticism as being incongruous, however.

Speaking to reporters, Akita Governor Norihisa Satake has complained it is very odd that the government canceled drills due to the receding threat while speeding up the deployment of the land-based missile defense system.

A senior Defense Ministry official admitted that the ministry cannot provide clear-cut, convincing explanations.

The government's inconsistent responses are believed to reflect Trump's request on Japan to increase purchases of American defense equipment.

An official of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who represents the interests of the defense industry said the government cannot cancel the acquisition of Aegis Ashore batteries because of Trump's request. Jiji Press