South Korea confirms North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea

Faced with the above situation, today, the South Korean Presidential Office announced that it will hold a meeting of the National Security Council to respond to the above launch by North Korea.

Image believed to be a North Korean missile just launched. Photo AP

In a related development, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has just left open the possibility of clearly defining the ability to attack enemy missile bases for defensive purposes in the upcoming National Security Strategy.

In an interview with the Yomiuri newspaper, Prime Minister Kishida said, “In order to protect people’s lives and livelihoods, it is important to consider all practical options.” Regarding the timing of the revision of the National Security Strategy, Prime Minister Kishida said, “I want to do it as soon as possible.” However, he did not mention any specific timing.

Earlier in 2020, then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that the Japanese government would consider acquiring the capability to strike enemy bases as countries such as North Korea were making progress in developing new missiles that were harder to intercept. Possessing the capability to strike enemy bases was aimed at strengthening Japan's deterrence capabilities.