Press Conference by the Prime Minister on North Korea’s Launch of Ballistic Missiles

(Regarding North Korea’s launch of ballistic missiles)

The Government recognizes the importance of taking all possible measures to respond to contingencies on a regular basis and has put in place a system that enables us to promptly respond to emergencies in a seamless manner. Today, Chief Cabinet Secretary MATSUNO Hirokazu and I were both scheduled to leave Tokyo. As in the past, the Chief Cabinet Secretary designated Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary ISOZAKI Yoshihiko to serve on his behalf in Tokyo, and we were prepared to return to Tokyo immediately by Self-Defense Force aircraft if necessary in case of an emergency. We also made sure to establish an emergency contact system. In fact, immediately after this incident occurred, I gave overall instructions in the capacity of prime minister, while also contacting Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Isozaki to give him instructions. We then remained in touch, with the emergency contact system maintained. As a result, we were convinced that we had placed a system that was sufficient for crisis management.