Japan would use its Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) or Patriot Missile PAC-3 to destroy a North Korean missile, it added. Any North Korean missile launch would be a serious violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions condemning its nuclear and missile activity, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. South Korea joined Japan in calling on the reclusive North to scrap its plan, which it described as "illegal". "Coming amid major U.S.-ROK military drills and in the wake of South Korea’s own satellite launch, North Korea is likely to view Seoul’s critique as extremely hypocritical." In May, its leader, Kim, inspected a military satellite facility, the KCNA state news agency said.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 29, 2023 07:35 UTC