TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2018) Japan still considers North Korean nuclear and missile program �an unprecedentedly serious and imminent� threat to its security despite the alleviation of tensions on the Korean peninsula, the country's Defense Ministry said in an annual white paper on Tuesday.
�Taking into consideration the fact that North Korea appears to possess and deploy several hundred Nodong missiles capable of reaching almost every part of Japan as well as advancements in the development and operational capabilities of nuclear weapons and missiles through repeated nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches to date, there is no change in our basic recognition concerning the threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles,�
The situation on the Korean Peninsula has significantly improved over the last months, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un having held several rounds of talks with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in and a summit with US President Trump in Singapore. During the June 12 summit, Kim and Trump reached an agreement that required Pyongyang to denuclearize in exchange for a freeze on the US-South Korean military drills and eventual sanctions relief.
