Japan responds calmly to N. Korea’s projectile launches

May 10, 2019

Tokyo--The Japanese government Thursday responded calmly to North Korea's additional projectile launches and refrained from condemning Pyongyang over the action.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, when asked by reporters about the Japanese government's response, only said, "No impact on our country's security has been confirmed."

Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, separately speaking to reporters, said Japan will work together with the United States and South Korea to collect and analyze information.

Asked about North Korea's intentions behind the successive projectile launches in a short period, Iwaya said, "We're not in a position to say something definitely."

Abe has no plans to hold phone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump anytime soon, informed sources said.

The calm response apparently came as Tokyo is attempting to arrange a summit meeting between Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an effort to resolve Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese citizens, sources familiar with the situation said.

The additional projectile launches will not affect Abe's readiness to meet with Kim without conditions, a Japanese government official said.

But a senior official at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said it may be getting difficult to publicize Tokyo's policy of seeking a Japan-North Korea summit without conditions.

In Seoul, defense officials from Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed to promote exchanges of information on the projectile launches and other North Korean moves.

The officials also reaffirmed the three countries' cooperation to stop North Korea's ship-to-ship transfers of oil and coal intended to evade sanctions. Jiji Press