The Self-Defense Forces were on alert for a possible North Korean ballistic missile launch, a government source said Tuesday, with media reporting its navy and anti-missile Patriot batteries have been told to shoot down any projectile heading for Japan.
North Korea appeared to have moved an intermediate-range missile to its east coast, but there were no signs of an imminent launch, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed government source.
A South Korean Defense Ministry official said it could not confirm the Yonhap report and said the military was watching the North's missile activities closely.