TOKYO (Sputnik) — On Sunday, North Korea fired a long-range rocket, defying a UN Security Council resolution which bans Pyongyang from launching rockets that may be used as ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads. Japan’s National Security Council held a meeting shortly after the incident, as the rocket flew over Japan’s Okinawa prefecture.
"The necessity of swiftest adoption of harsh sanctions has increased even more," Kishida said, as quoted by the Kyodo news agency.
Following the reports about North Korea’s rocket launch, Abe's office said that Japan, in close cooperation with the international community, would not hesitate to take measures against North Korea.
Later that day, Kishida said that Tokyo had begun considering its own sanctions over the incident.