LDP Demands Strong Response from Suga Government to North Korea's Missile Launches

▲Toshihiro Nikai, Secretary-General of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has demanded a tough response to North Korea's missile launch.

According to Kyodo News on the 25th, the LDP convened an executive meeting of its internal organization, the "North Korea Nuclear Test and Missile Issue Countermeasures Headquarters," as news of North Korea's missile launch was reported in the morning.

At the meeting, LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai stated that it is not enough to just protest to North Korea and urged the government to take a strong stance.

He also pointed out North Korea's continued military expansion, including ballistic missile development, and argued that the international community must ensure the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and sanctions against North Korea.

Earlier, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, the Japanese government spokesperson, announced at a regular press conference in the morning that "North Korea launched two ballistic missiles at approximately 7:04 and 7:23."

This ballistic missile launch by North Korea is the first in about a year since March 29 of last year, when North Korea claimed to have fired a "super-large multiple rocket launcher" from Wonsan, Gangwon Province.

In response, the Japanese government stated that it lodged a stern protest through the Japanese Embassy channel in China, citing violations of UNSC resolutions.

Meanwhile, Kazuo Kitagawa, Secretary-General of the coalition partner Komeito, condemned North Korea's missile launch as a clear violation of UNSC resolutions at a press conference.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.