New Japan defense chief vows to strengthen pressure on N. Korea

August 5, 2017

TOKYO- New Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera vowed on Friday to cooperate with the international community to strengthen pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile programs.

"We need to step up various efforts to contain North Korea, in cooperation with the United States and South Korea," Onodera said in an interview with news organizations on the day after he took office in a cabinet reshuffle.

"We will also urge China and Russia to play greater roles in adding pressure on North Korea," he said.

"The threat (from North Korea) is increasing further as it is working to improve the (missile) capabilities," Onodera noted, referring to the reclusive state's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile last week.

Onodera suggested that the government will consider equipping Japan with the ability to attack an enemy base before a missile is fired from there.

"We will study what is necessary for our country's missile defense and consider measures to comprehensively improve our response capabilities," the new defense chief said.

Over the planned relocation of the US Marine Corp.'s Futenma air base within Okinawa Prefecture, Onodera pledged to make every effort for the full return of the current Futenma site to the southern prefecture.

He also promised to take drastic preventive measures in the wake of a data cover-up scandal involving Ground Self-Defense Force peacekeeping operations in South Sudan under his predecessor, Tomomi Inada. Jiji Press