Reuters:
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan said on Tuesday North Korea still posed a dire threat to its security despite a halt to ballistic missile tests and a pledge by leader Kim Jong Un to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.
“North Korea’s military activities pose the most serious and pressing threat our nation has faced,” said an annual white paper published by Japan’s Ministry of Defence.
The document outlines security concerns about nuclear-armed North Korea, China’s growing military might and territorial ambitions, and Russia’s intent to rebuild its power that paint a picture of Japan surrounded by potential adversaries in East Asia.
The latest security assessment also comes after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned fourth trip by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang this week as part of a fresh bid to push North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles following the unprecedented summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore in June.
