"The North Korean problem is the international community's top priority. In order to deter them, we will take concrete action with the United States."
Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Shinzo Abe said his country will join the United States in taking concrete action against North Korea, following their latest ballistic missile test.
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The latest test involved a short-range Scud which flew about 450km before landing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) between the Korean Peninsula and Japan on Monday, according to the U.S. Pacific Command. This is the third test in as many weeks, and the 12th this year.
"We will never tolerate North Korea's continued provocations that ignore repeated warnings by the international community," Abe told reporters.
All the North's tests have been carried out in direct defiance of UN sanctions warnings and U.S. threats of military action.
"As agreed during the G7 summit, the North Korean problem is the international community's top priority. In order to deter North Korea, we will take concrete action with the United States," said the Japanese PM.
Michael Penn, president of the Tokyo-based Shingetsu news agency, told Al Jazeera that North Korea's latest missile test was part of an effort to strengthen its military against any possible threats from the U.S.
"The missile technology tests themselves do seem to be the priority of the North Korean regime, to get their technology as strong as possible, as quickly as possible. They feel this is their best way forward – to show their own ability to defend themselves against a Trump Administration they cannot predict," Penn explained.
