North Korea might have the ability to fire a missile loaded with sarin nerve gas, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday.
Abe’s remarks to parliament comes amid mounting worries that Pyongyang may carry out another nuclear test or launch ballistic missiles soon.
US President Donald Trump decided to deploy a group of warships towards the Korean Peninsula, further escalating tensions, as North Korea marks the 105th anniversary of the birth of the late founding leader Kim Il Sung on Saturday.
Pyongyang had test-launched a ballistic missile last week shortly before the first face-to-face talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Florida.
Following the missile launch, Trump told Abe over the phone, “all options are on the table,” according to the premier.
North Korea has ramped up its nuclear and missile programmes, conducting two nuclear tests and launching some 20 ballistic missiles in 2017 alone. (NAN)