Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the fourth Advisory Council on the Establishment of a National Security Council at the Prime Minister's Office.

At this meeting, there was an explanation from the government side and opinions were exchanged.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

"It is extremely regrettable that the repeated, provocative actions by North Korea against the international community, including Japan, have reached a level at which they could be said to be difficult to tolerate.
I am resolved to exert every effort in order to secure the safety of the people.
As such, in the midst of the ever more perilous security situation surrounding Japan, there is an urgent need for the Government to create a forum where I and all the relevant cabinet ministers can discuss diplomacy and security policy from a broad and strategic perspective in a responsive manner and on a daily basis, and to resolve the many issues we face through strong political leadership.
From such a perspective, today I want to receive the opinions of each Council member on the National Security Council as a meeting place between myself and relevant ministers, and on the organization of a strong secretariat that will support the National Security Council."