Defense chief warns North Korea against missile launch

Friday 27th February, 11:59 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

GenevaMan at 04:55 PM JST - 27th February

@titian, good point. The Taepodon launched in 1998 was a three stages missile. The first part (propeller) can go orbital, but quickly dropped in the Sea of Japan after the launch. The two other stages fell apart around 200-300 km of altitude: the third stage fell down and came close (60km!!!) to Japan's soil. The second stage fell over 1000 km far from the japanese coasts.

Check this out:

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/missile/japandocimage_01.gif
tclh at 05:08 PM JST - 27th February

Good idea, just shoot the damn thing down. If this fail ,invest more into the technology and get it perfect next time.
SaruTobi at 06:02 PM JST - 27th February

CONDITION ALERT--DEFCON 3
apecNetworks at 06:13 PM JST - 27th February

It seems odd that, w/ the deep consultations at the six way talks, that tensions are rising between DPRK and ROK, and that DPRK could give the trajectory of the missile test to all interested parties to de-escalate the tensions. However, Japan is reacting defensively, thus reflects no significant dialogue w/ the DPRK over the missile test. Something is amiss, since the progress of the 6way talks is not in the media, except the exchange of heated words between DPRK and ROK.

If the DPRK personnel is reading JT, a news release on the status of the 6way talks from the DPRK's perspective would help their image and clear the air of the tensions. I personally would like to know the perceptions involved. My intuition says politics is involved.
titian at 07:07 PM JST - 27th February

apecNetworks: absolutely agree with your point - this is a normal practice for all ballistic missile tests (in order not to provoke the potentially dangerous activation of the missile attack warning systems).

GenevaMan: Thanks, interesting details, I remembered them well... It looks like the only legal action Japan can take is to shoot a malfunctioning, falling intermediate stage of the missile down. Which should be anyway done by the self-destruction functionality of the missile, if not malfunctioning too. So maybe it would be cheaper for Japan to invest in the N.Korean self-destruction technology - we know from the previous starts of H-II-A that Japan excels in it :-)
skyguym42 at 08:09 PM JST - 27th February

If the Norks try to launch, I say Japan should take the shot. If it works, what are they going to do< nuke Japan with their missiles? If it fails, we need to know that the system doesn't work.

There is no difference between an ICBM and a satellite launch vehicle. They have no need for a satellite....we (US or Japan) will GLADLY give them any satellite information they need to improve weather forecasts or agriculture. A launch is nothing more than an ICBM test and should be slapped down....if it's possible. If not, the Japanese need to stop wasting money and make some refund demands from the US companies.
SuperLib at 11:00 PM JST - 27th February

Just fire a rocket over North Korea and call it even. Dismiss any criticism by North Korea by saying they brought it on themselves with their tough talk.
smithinjapan at 11:31 PM JST - 27th February

SuperLib: Agree with the sentiment, but unfortunately you'd then have China and Russia at the very least start gearing up, and the former most certainly upset as well. Call it 'tough talk' all you want, the end result is not worth it.

Someone in this whole things needs to stop acting like a child and start acting like an adult; that means STOP the whole 'you fired at me, we will sanction!/fire back!' etc., and start looking for a realistic way to end this mess. That probably means doing a bit of back-tracking and sucking up, but as I said, SOMEONE's got to see that the high road in all this is actually going in part have to cater to some basic demands from NK. NK is certainly not going to grow up, and the tantrum it could possibly throw will have repercussions that no one wants.
mareo2 at 12:10 AM JST - 28th February

In my humble opinion, I think that at some point these firing rocket thing start to lose the impact on the people. We end thinking that is just a "give me more money" message. We have an anti-missile system, good! Then we dont need to worrie so much, give child Kim some candies and try to figure how to get out of the recession. LDP need Kim so much for distract people from domestic problems, that I dont think that LDP is going to cooperate with the USA in the 6 countriess talk.
OssanAmerica at 01:06 AM JST - 28th February

‘‘As you already know what we have done up to now, we are doing what we > have always been doing.’’ What the hell does this mean when asked if the system is ready?

Not too sharp are you? It means smith that the military response to your beloved NKorea's current act of provocation is to shoot it down if need be. What they've "always been doing" is practicing for this very event.
OssanAmerica at 01:13 AM JST - 28th February

Someone in this whole things needs to stop acting like a child and start >acting like an adult; that means STOP the whole 'you fired at me, we >will sanction!/fire back!' etc.,

No, it means that NKorea needs to stop acting like the neighborhood jerk.

and start looking for a realistic way to end this mess. That probably >means doing a bit of back-tracking and sucking up, but as I said, >SOMEONE's got to see that the high road in all this is actually going in >part have to cater to some basic demands from NK.

As if that's gotten anyone anywhere. Even the SKoreans have realized what a joke all these years of sucking up to NKorea has been. Wake up and smell the ginseng tea man.

NK is certainly not going to grow up, and the tantrum it could possibly >throw will have repercussions that no one wants.

I'm so scared.
OssanAmerica at 01:15 AM JST - 28th February

Well the good thing is that North Korea is doing their best to keep Japan frightened. Maybe that will help get them to trash Article 9 and get a "real" constitution that will allow for colletive defense.
ca1ic0cat at 05:03 AM JST - 28th February

I'm actually looking forward to planning a shootdown party next weekend. I hope the SDF nail that sucker.

BTW guys, I would bet that Japan could build a nuke any time it wanted to. The technology is well understood. I'd say the CAD files are already done. The only thing that keeps Japan from doing the work is that the US provides the nuke shield. The politics are a lot easier that way.
OzKen at 11:31 AM JST - 28th February

I've always been in favour of Japan acquiring nukes. They certainly have the capability to do so in pretty quick time. I read somewhere (I think it was a greenpeace article) that they could produce a thousand in 6 months if they wanted to. They also have in storage a huge amount of fissile weapons grade material and if they converted it all into weapons they'd have an arsenal greater than that of the US. Japan are also ballistic missile capable as well and they produce the best semi-conductors in the world to guide those missiles accurately. Not only is it a deterrent and it would keep North Korea from beating its chest so often but it would also be a deterrent to China's continued military buildup.
OssanAmerica at 11:17 PM JST - 28th February

Japan certainly has the ability to go nuclear. But, like Australia who also has the ability, they don't need to as long as they are in the U.S. camp.