Prime Minister Naoto Kan held the first meeting of the Headquarters for Response to the Shelling Incident by North Korea at the Prime Minister's Office.

At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister gave instructions to the Cabinet members, saying, "The situation is of grave concern to not only the Republic of Korea (ROK) but to the entire East Asian region as well, and requires us to work in close concert with the ROK as well as the United States. The Headquarters will be attended by all of the Cabinet members, and in order to address this issue on a steady basis I ask the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries and vice ministers and other senior officials of the related ministries and agencies to work closely and set a framework to collect necessary information and have it forwarded to me as needed. I would like each of you to make the utmost efforts, in your respective responsibilities, to create an environment in which the people can feel assured."