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Japan: N. Korea is top threat
TOKYO, Japan -- A Japanese defense report has named North Korea as the number one military threat to the country and called for an improved missile defense system to counter the danger. The annual report listed North Korea, and the threat posed by its ballistic missiles, as Japan's biggest security concern and recommended Tokyo speed up anti-missile defense research and deployment. "Given recent behavior, we cannot discount the possibility that North Korea's nuclear weapons program is already quite advanced," Japan's Defense Ministry said in the white paper as quoted by The Associated Press. "We must monitor the military standoff on the Korean Peninsula and the development, deployment and spread of ballistic missiles." North Korea has been involved in a standoff since October with the United States over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. North Korea has said it is begun reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods which experts say can be used to build several nuclear weapons. U.S. officials have said they believe North Korea might already have built one or two nuclear weapons. Hopes for resolving the crisis have been given a boost after North Korea said last week it would take part in six-way multinational talks on the North's nuclear program. No date has been set for the talks, which will involve North Korea, the U.S., South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. North Korea said Monday the meeting would take place "soon" in Beijing. Defense movesWhile Japan has almost 30 Patriot anti-missile batteries, their targetting system is only able to down slower and shorter range missiles than those North Korea is believed to be developing. North Korea sent shockwaves across the region in 1998 when it test fired a missile that flew over Japan's main island. In response, Japan launched two spy satellites in March this year and hopes to launch two more in September to monitor North Korea's military developments. South Korea said last month that the North had deployed more missiles capable of hitting Japan. The defense paper said Japan had to consider a stronger missile defense, but though it mentions the U.S.'s testing of its Patriot Advanced Capability system the report stopps short of recommending its introduction. The study also suggests increasing Japan's participation in U.N. peacekeeping missions, as well as counter terrorism activities and the curbing of weapons of mass destruction. Currently, although Japan has an ostensibly pacifist constitution restricting its armed forces to a self-defense role, it's overall military budget is among the world's largest. For 2003 a total of $41 billion is budgeted for military spending, down 0.1 percent from last year and less than 1 percent of Japan's gross domestic product. Recently, there has been debate in Japan about revising the constitution to give the country a more activist role in any future international conflict. Critics say a recent government backing of a more active Japanese military -- including a naval role during the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan and the parliamentary approval last month for sending peacekeepers to Iraq -- has already violated the constitution. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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