Tokyo, 22 April 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The Japanese military has been ordered to be on alert for possible falling rocket debris, local media reported, after North Korea's ruler Kim Jong Un said he planned to launch the country's first military reconnaissance satellite.

Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Saturday ordered the army to be at higher readiness in case the North Korean rocket falls over Japanese territory, Kyodo news agency reported.

The preparations include deploying ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles and Aegis-equipped destroyer warships carrying Standard Missile-3 interceptor projectiles, government sources told Kyodo.

During a visit to the National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) on Tuesday, Kim instructed the military satellite to be launched on the planned date, the official news agency KCNA reported, without mentioning a specific launch date.

Kim called for a number of reconnaissance satellites to be deployed in the future to "firmly establish" the country's satellite intelligence-gathering capability, KCNA said.

Photo: EPA