Japan orders military to shoot down North Korean spy satellite if it enters its territory

Move comes after Kim Jong-un says preparations for launch of country’s first spy satellite should proceed

Japan has ordered its military to prepare to shoot down a North Korean spy satellite if it enters its territory, according to a statement by the country's defence ministry.

The move came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stated that preparations for the launch of the country's first spy satellite should proceed to counter perceived threats from the United States and South Korea.

Japan’s defence minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered the military to make necessary preparations to shoot down the satellite or even order the destruction of ballistic missiles.

He instructed the self-defence forces to make necessary preparations as he could potentially “order the destruction of ballistic missiles”, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The preparations include deploying troops to the southern prefecture of Okinawa to minimise damage should a ballistic missile fall, Kyodo News reported quoting government sources.

“We will make preparations to be able to respond to any circumstance that could cause damage to Japan,” one of the sources told the Japanese news outlet.

North Korea had claimed as early as December 2021 that it had conducted an "important final stage test" for the development of a spy satellite. It had previously said that the satellite could be ready as soon as April 2022.

Kim Jong-un made the remarks during a visit to the National Aerospace Development Administration alongside his daughter, who is believed to be called Ju Ae, and who has increasingly accompanied her father on public outings.

The preparations for the launch of the satellite were made to counter perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, according to North Korean state media.

The announcement comes amid rising tensions in the region after North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes. It also comes ahead of a summit next week between the US president Joe Biden and South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington, where the two will discuss measures against North Korea’s threats.

Japan and North Korea have a troubled history, with disputes over territories. The shooting down of a North Korean missile would be a significant escalation in tensions between the two countries, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the region.

Additional reporting by agencies