Tokyo, December 14: Amid tension due to North Korean missile tests, Japan is facing another kind of threat in coastal security. In 2017, a record number of “ghost ships” or suspected North Korean boats have washed ashore along the Sea of Japan coast. Due to this problem, Japanese Government is boosting patrols and other measures to respond to the new crisis.
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made a response team under Fumio Kishida, head of policy research for the Liberal Democratic Party, ruling party in Japan cabinet. The PM has also vowed that the government will do whatever is necessary to address the issue.
The local residents are becoming scared while local governments are being more burdened. Moreover, during winter Sea of Japan faces rough weather. Hence, patrol ships may not be enough to stop those illegal vessels. "We want to responsibly deal with the actual costs in close coordination with localities," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.