Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday said the country would develop a new national security strategy and a medium-term defence plan amid the ongoing missile tests conducted by North Korea.

Mr Kishida said the decision was taken amid the rapid changes in North Korea’s military balance and emerging challenges concerning space and cyberspace.

During a speech at a meeting of the lower house of parliament, Mr Kishida said “the government is taking into account the ongoing missile tests, unilateral attempts to change the status quo, rapid changes in the military balance and new challenges in space and cyberspace.

“The government intends to work in a holistic way to protect the territory, maritime belt and airspace. It also plans to protect the lives and property of the citizens, and conceive a new national security strategy and a medium-term plan for the development of the country’s defence capability,” the prime minister added.

He added that, for this purpose, all possible options would be considered, including “the country’s ability to stage preventive strikes on enemy bases.”

The Japanese prime minister stressed that the recent missile tests carried out by North Korea were unacceptable.

He said that Tokyo was ready to build a constructive dialogue with Pyongyang and that he was “ready for a personal meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without any preconditions.”

Earlier in the day, North Korea reportedly launched two short-range ballistic missiles eastward from the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport area.

North Korea launched its fourth missile in January, with earlier ones conducted on January 5. On the first two occasions, Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested hypersonic missiles.

(Sputnik/NAN)