Nikkei Asian Review:
TOKYO — As North Korea refuses to give up its nuclear and missile development programs, Japan and the U.S., as well as South Korea, are left to tackle the challenge of saving as many people as possible in case the unthinkable does occur.
The tense situation in the Korean Peninsula is causing Washington and Tokyo to fortify their missile defense and alert systems. The allies are also hashing out plans to evacuate their citizens from South Korea and other places if the need arises. But those efforts are also revealing sobering shortfalls in their current capabilities.
The SM-3 Block IIA missile interceptor system being developed jointly by U.S. and Japan missed its target in a test conducted at the end of January. That month also saw the botched missile alert in Hawaii, a U.S. state within a 20-minute range of North Korean rockets.
