Tokyo: Japan’s Defense Ministry said Sunday it will extend an order issued for the Self-Defense Forces to destroy any North Korean ballistic missile that threatens the country’s territory for the time being.

Japan needs to remain on alert as North Korea could launch another military reconnaissance satellite using ballistic missile technology following its botched launch last month, ministry officials said.

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada issued the order under the SDF law on May 29 after Pyongyang notified Tokyo of its plan to launch a satellite sometime between midnight on May 30 and midnight on Saturday.

The SDF has deployed Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air interceptors to southwestern islands. In addition, Japanese Aegis destroyers equipped with Standard Missile-3 interceptors have been deployed to the East China Sea.

North Korea has vowed to conduct a second launch as soon as possible after it failed to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit on May 31. Pyongyang has said it may not give an advance notice any longer.

JIJI Press