Japan plans to deploy long-range missiles, North Korea unlikely to leave it alone

Japan's consideration of deploying long-range missiles on its southwestern island of Kyushu to bolster its defense capabilities has prompted warnings from North Korea.

Japan's Type-12 land-to-ship guided missile. (Source: Yonhap)

On March 15, Kyodo news agency quoted Japanese government sources as saying that Tokyo is considering deploying missiles at the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) surface-to-ship missile regiments in Yufu or Kumamoto cities in Oita prefecture.

The deployment, scheduled for March 2026, is aimed at strengthening the security of the Nansei island chain in the country's southwest, which is of strategic importance to the Northeast Asian nation.

However, the deployment may encounter problems as local authorities and residents deploying the missiles are concerned that these areas could become targets of enemies in the event of an armed conflict.

The missiles under consideration are upgraded versions of the Type-12 land-based anti-ship guided missiles, which have a range of up to 1,000 km. Japan is enhancing the counterattack capabilities of these missiles.

The missiles are set to replace the US land-based Aegis Ashore missile defence system, which Japan abandoned in 2020 because of the threat of them falling on residential areas.

Responding to this information, on March 20, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted the head of the policy department of the Institute for Japanese Studies under the North Korean Foreign Ministry as saying that Pyongyang believes this move will "cause a constant escalation of tensions" in Northeast Asia.

“All military means and various forms of activities directly targeting the DPRK must be wiped out,” the KCNA news agency said.

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