Japan's defense ministry said on Monday that it had alerted its anti-ballistic missile defense systems to North Korea and was preparing "

The Japanese have warned that they are ready to use their Standard Missile-3 and Patriot Missile PAC-3 missiles to shoot down a North Korean missile or its debris if they enter Japan. Launch trajectory could cover waters in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and east of Luzon Island in the Philippines.

The US, Japan, and South Korea allege that any satellite launch using ballistic missile technology would violate several UN Security Council resolutions banning Pyongyang's ballistic missile tests.. In a joint statement, the three countries' nuclear commissioners warned that if North Korea "

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Last month, North Korea announced it had completed work on its first-ever military spy satellite as leader Kim Jong-un has developed the breadth and complexity of his country's weapons programs..

North Korea hopes the spy satellite will "

Earlier this month, Kim visited the North Korean space agency to approve plans for a satellite launch.. During the visit, which coincided with large-scale air exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea, he said that the spy satellite program was defensive in nature..

North Korea has previously successfully launched two satellites, the latest in 2016, which it says were for "

In October, North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time since 2017, triggering an emergency public alert.. Last month, a North Korean missile triggered an evacuation order on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido..

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Speaking to reporters on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the satellite launch would violate UN Security Council resolutions..

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Kishida added that he was ready to meet Kim in person and said that Tokyo would work closely with Washington and Seoul to resolve tensions with Pyongyang..

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed earlier this month that Tokyo and Seoul are working to share real-time data on North Korean missile launches through the United States, their common ally..

Earlier, Kim Jong-un reacted sharply to the joint military exercises of the United States and South Korea, urging compatriots to strengthen the military power of the DPRK..