Japan 'could legally intercept North Korean rocket headed for Guam'

Pyongyang's threat to launch intercontinental ballistic missile at US territory in Pacific would mean bypassing regional neighbour

Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera (Issei Kato/Reuters)

Japan could legally intercept a North Korean missile headed towards Guam, Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Thursday in remarks reported by Kyodo news service.

Onodera told a lower house of parliament committee that Japan would be allowed to hit a missile headed towards the US Pacific territory if it was judged to be an existential threat to Japan, Kyodo said. This is a reiteration of the Japanese government's position.

Experts say Japan does not currently have the capability to shoot down a missile flying over its territory headed for Guam.

Reuters