The Defense Ministry said Sunday it has extended an order instructing the Self-Defense Forces to destroy any North Korean projectile that could fly over Japanese territory, despite the expiration of a period in which Pyongyang said it would launch a satellite-carrying rocket.
The decision indicates Japan will remain vigilant given North Korea has indicated it plans to make an attempt in the near future following the failure of a launch late last month.
North Korea notified Japan and the International Maritime Organization in late May that it was planning on launching a satellite between May 31 and midnight Saturday.
Japan considers any North Korean launch of a rocket carrying a satellite as equivalent to that of a ballistic missile test and thus in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions aimed at thwarting Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development.
On May 31, North Korea attempted to launch a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit but the operation failed due to "serious defects," according to the country's state media.
On June 4, North Korea indicated the next launch would be made without giving advance notice, rapping the IMO for adopting a resolution criticizing it over the May 31 launch, the Korean Central News Agency said.
With the extension of the Japanese ministry's destruction order, originally issued on May 29, the SDF will continue to deploy ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles on the main island of Okinawa Prefecture as well as on Miyako and Yonaguni islands.
The United States and its Asian security allies, Japan and South Korea, remained on alert throughout the pre-declared launch window.
The North believes that a military reconnaissance satellite is necessary to detect potential surprise attacks from Washington and Seoul. South Korea remains technically in a state of war with Pyongyang as the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
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