TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed Tuesday to fully consider the country's future missile defense posture after his government decided to halt the program to deploy Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense systems.

"We've understood that we can no longer proceed with the program after a change to its preconditions, which we explained to local communities in areas where the Aegis Ashore systems were planned to be deployed,” Abe told reporters at the prime minister's office.

"At the National Security Council, we'll now fully discuss measures necessary to protect Japan," Abe said.

The prime minister revealed that he approved the halt of the Aegis Ashore program at a meeting with Defense Minister Taro Kono on Friday.

"Protecting the people and their peaceful daily lives is an important mission of the government," Abe said. "We mustn't leave a blank in our defense policy."

Meanwhile, after North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office near its border with South Korea on the same day, Abe said Japan wants no further escalation in tensions between the two Koreas.

"We'll analyze related information while closely cooperating with South Korea and the United States," the Japanese leader said.

JIJI Press