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(Countermeasures Headquarters For the North Korean Launch Issue,
Liberal Democratic Party, member of the Coalition Government) Today, a rocket was launched by North Korea. This act, which sent a flying object over the territory of our nation, was not only extremely dangerous, but was carried out in spite of repeated calls for restraint by the nations of the world, including Japan. This launch, which threatens the peace and stability of Northeast Asia, cannot be tolerated. Even assuming that this action by North Korea might have involved an artificial satellite, such a launch would still be a clear violation of a resolution passed by the UN Security Council. The government should therefore encourage public opinion in the international community to strongly oppose such acts, and should call for compliance with all UN Security Council resolutions, including adherence to a ban on the export of missile-launching technologies to North Korea. We call on the government to cooperate with the countries concerned, including the United States and the Republic of Korea, and to immediately engage in renewed diplomatic efforts to encourage the UN Security Council to take up the matter of North Korean rocket launches. While closely monitoring the activities of various countries, as well as the United Nations, the government should also immediately begin deliberating additional measures to ensure that Japan will be able to counter the actions of North Korea. With this launch, we call on the government to expend every effort to strengthen measures to ensure the safety of its citizens---including the improvement of its information-dissemination system---and to enhance the condition of its anti-ballistic missile system.  |
