Last month the kanji kita (north) was selected as the character best symbolizing the social issues of 2017 in Japan, as North Korea's missile and nuclear weapon threats were a constant challenge to the nation's security and diplomacy throughout the year.

Experts interviewed by The Japan Times agreed that this year as well, the biggest national concern will be the North Korean threat.

Pyongyang looks ready to defy international pressure and keep test-firing ballistic missiles and pursuing its nuclear arms quest in 2018.