Kan tells ministers to brace for contingency over N. Korea shell firing

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TOKYO, Nov. 23 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Tuesday he told his ministers to prepare for any
contingency after North Korea fired artillery shells toward South Korean waters
and a populated island near the tense western sea border earlier in the day.
''I gave them two instructions -- first, to put all efforts into gathering
information, and second, to prepare to be able to respond firmly to any
contingency,'' Kan told reporters at his office in Tokyo.
His comments came after the Japanese government set up an information
coordination office in the crisis management center at the prime minister's
office in response to the incident in which North Korea fired dozens of rounds
of artillery, killing at least two South Korean soldiers.
Kan also said he wants to assure the public that Japan is fully prepared to
respond to any contingency, explaining to reporters that he instructed Chief
Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku and Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa to
gather information and prepare for possible emergencies.
Cabinet ministers met to discuss the incident Tuesday night at the prime
minister's office.
Kitazawa earlier told reporters that the most important point to look at for
the time being is whether or not the situation will worsen, while emphasizing
the importance for Japan to exchange information with the U.S. military on the
matter.
According to the South Korean military, North Korean artillery shells fell in
the South's waters off the island of Yeonpyeong as well as on the island
itself, killing at least two South Korean soldiers and leaving more than a
dozen other people wounded.
A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official expressed alarm over the incident,
calling it a ''dangerous, provocative act by North Korea.''
Meanwhile, ruling Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Katsuya Okada
called for a calm response by the two Koreas, telling reporters in Osaka, ''It
is important (for both countries) to respond in a level-headed manner to
prevent the situation from escalating.''
A Japanese government source noted that South Korea appears to be making
efforts not to aggravate the situation.
Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister and current policy chief of the main
opposition Liberal Democratic Party, told Kyodo News, ''The government should
convene the Security Council of Japan and be on the alert to respond
appropriately to any situation.''
The council is Japan's decision-making panel on defense and security matters
and convenes to deal with emergency situations.
Speaking at Narita airport upon returning from a trip to South Korea, New
Komeito party head Natsuo Yamaguchi emphasized the ''importance of solidarity
among Japan, the United States and South Korea in resolving the problem.''
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said no Japanese national is living on
Yeonpyeong, but it has no information about Japanese travelers there.
The firing of artillery rounds comes in the wake of recent reports about a
purported North Korean uranium enrichment facility, with Japan, South Korea and
the United States adopting a tough stance on the matter.
==Kyodo
2010-11-23 23:09:55