Japan's defence minister has ordered the military to prepare interceptor missiles ahead of North Korea's planned rocket launch next month.<br/> <br />The Japanese Self Defence Forces will begin preparing sites for the use of Patriot Advanced Capability 3 interceptor missiles.<br/> <br />Japan has said these may be used to shoot down North Korea's rocket if it looks to be threatening Japanese territory.<br/> <br />The Japanese delegation attending the nuclear security summit in South Korea expressed "grave concern" over North Korea's weapons programme and urged the country to exercise restraint and cancel the launch.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE)(English) YUTAKA YOKOI, PRESS SECRETARY OF JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTRY, SAYING:<br/> <br />"North Korea's launch of a missile under the guise of a satellite as recently announced is against non-proliferation efforts of the international community and violates relevant UN Security Council resolutions."<br/> <br />North Korea is not among the more than 50 countries represented at the summit, but the announcement of the long-range rocket launch has pushed the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programme to the forefront of the summit's agenda.<br/> <br />Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
