AMN / TOKYO
Japan’s top government spokesperson has said that the government will suspend evacuation drills for ballistic missile launches, as tensions have eased since the US-North Korea summit earlier this month.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was speaking at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting on Friday.
The government has been holding joint drills with prefectural and municipal governments to prepare for a possible North Korean ballistic missile attack.
29 of these exercises have been held across Japan since March 2017.
Suga said that drills in 9 prefectures will be suspended during the current fiscal year. He cited a significant reduction in the tensions affecting Japan’s security environment since the US and North Korean leaders met on June 12.
Suga said the government and municipalities will continue to conduct exercises to provide the public with essential information, including the use of the J-ALERT nationwide warning system.