Japan on Saturday finished most of its preparations for North Korea's planned launch this month of a long-range rocket in defiance of U.N. ban, government officials said.
A Self-Defense Forces commander reported to Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto that the deployment of all units in charge of intercepting the rocket in the event any part threatens to fall on Japan was completed by 7 a.m.
Morimoto said the SDF will remain on alert for the next two weeks.