[Desk Column] Japan's Discussion on 'Enemy Base Attack Capability'

[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] It has been reported that Japan’s Ministry of Defense began discussions on the 12th to strengthen missile response capabilities, including the possession of “enemy base strike capabilities.” The idea is that the existing missile defense system makes it difficult to defend against new weapons from neighboring countries such as North Korea and China, so deterrence must be strengthened by acquiring the ability to preemptively strike enemy missile launch bases. This discussion is expected to be reflected in the revision of the “Outline of Defense Planning” and the “Mid-Term Defense Capability Development Plan,” which are documents containing the basic policies of Japan’s defense strategy.

Enemy base strike capability refers to attacking and destroying enemy bases or military strongholds, such as ballistic missile launch bases, using bombers, cruise missiles, and other means. The scenario involves neutralizing enemy bases just before they launch an attack, meaning Japan would also possess long-range precision strike capabilities. This opens the possibility of preemptive strikes and acts of aggression against other countries.

This even disregards Japan’s principle of exclusive defense (專守防衛, meaning defense can only be exercised when attacked), which is based on Article 9 of Japan’s “Peace Constitution,” which renounces war as a means of resolving disputes and prohibits the possession of offensive military power. The Ministry of Defense defines exclusive defense as “exercising defense capabilities only when first attacked by an armed attack from an adversary, limiting the manner of defense to the minimum necessary for self-defense, and restricting the possessed defense capabilities to what is necessary and minimal, reflecting a passive defense strategy in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution.”

Japan’s constitution, known as the Peace Constitution, was established after World War II when Japan surrendered to the Allied Powers under Emperor Hirohito’s order. Article 9, paragraphs 1 and 2, state this clearly. Paragraph 1 reads, “The Japanese people sincerely desire international peace and forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.” Paragraph 2 stipulates, “In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained, and the right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.”

In a survey conducted among 402 respondents out of 465 elected members in the recent Japanese general election held on the 31st of last month, 39.8% answered that the possession of enemy base strike capabilities should be “actively discussed.” Those who said it should be “carefully discussed” accounted for 38.8%, while only 7.2% said “discussion is unnecessary.” Even more striking is that 71.9% of respondents expressed support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration’s push for constitutional revision, with only 25.9% opposing it.

The possibility of proposing amendments to the Peace Constitution has also become feasible. The combined seats of the Liberal Democratic Party (261 seats), Nippon Ishin no Kai (41 seats), and the Democratic Party for the People (11 seats) exceed the required 310 seats to propose constitutional amendments. This raises serious concerns that Japan’s possession of enemy base strike capabilities may be becoming a fait accompli.

If the Liberal Democratic Party decides to amend the Peace Constitution?arguing it was created under U.S. coercion?and to possess enemy base strike capabilities, it is obvious that an arms race will spread throughout East Asia. This will inevitably lead to heightened tensions in East Asia. Misjudgments or overreactions by Japan could also push the Korean Peninsula into a war crisis.

Therefore, not only our government but also the United States, which experienced the Pearl Harbor attack, must immediately put the brakes on Japan’s discussions about acquiring enemy base strike capabilities. Otherwise, the U.S. national interests in the Asia-Pacific region will also suffer serious damage.

President Moon Jae-in declared in his 2017 Liberation Day speech, “Military actions on the Korean Peninsula can only be decided by the Republic of Korea, and no one can decide military actions without the consent of the Republic of Korea.”

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