N Korea nukes, missiles top concerns in Japan defense report

N Korea second ICBM missile was fired at an extremely lofted angle and landed about 200 kilometers (120 miles) off Japan's Hokkaido island.

Update: 2017-08-08 03:18 GMT
The North's first ICBM test set off global alarm over the nation's weapons capabilities and a push by the US to impose more UN and bilateral sanctions, with the US Senate passing new bipartisan sanctions on Pyongyang on Friday. (Photo: Representational/AP)

Tokyo: A defense report from Japan's government says the threat from North Korea has reached a new stage now that the country is capable of launching intercontinental ballistic missiles and its nuclear weapons program has advanced.

North Korea was the main concern cited in the "white paper" approved by Japan's Cabinet on Tuesday, less than two weeks after the North test-fired its second ICBM. Analysts say it could have the range to reach Los Angeles or Chicago.

That missile was fired at an extremely lofted angle and landed about 200 kilometers (120 miles) off Japan's Hokkaido island.

The government report also raised concerns over China's assertive actions in the region's air and seas and about the country's lack of transparency over its military buildup, with its budget tripling in a decade.

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