at 18:30 (JST), June 01

Asian View
"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.





https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20230601183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : kim sister second-stage
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230601_09/

The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stressed her country will soon make a second attempt to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.

North Korea launched its first military spy satellite, Malligyong-1, aboard a Chollima-1 rocket from the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the northwest of the country on Wednesday morning.

But Pyongyang announced the rocket lost thrust due to a problem with the second-stage engine, and crashed into the Yellow Sea to the west of the Korean Peninsula.

Kim Yo Jong issued a statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday.

Referring to US condemnation of the launch, Kim said her country had "confirmed once again that the enemies are most afraid of the DPRK's access to excellent reconnaissance and information means, including reconnaissance satellite."

She said North Korea should therefore direct greater efforts to developing reconnaissance methods.

Kim added it is certain that her country's "military reconnaissance satellite will be correctly put into orbit in the near future and start its mission."

North Korea on Wednesday noted the need to take steps to overcome what it called "serious defects" with the rocket, and conduct various tests before the next launch.

South Korean intelligence officials suggest that while the next liftoff could happen soon, it could take several weeks to inspect the engine.

Countries in the region remain on alert and are continuing to monitor the situation.

Key words : beijing rocket mao
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230601_06/

Pyongyang's failed rocket launch on Wednesday has prompted less concern in Beijing than in Tokyo, Washington and Seoul.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning says tensions on the Korean Peninsula should be resolved at the negotiating table.

Mao said, "The current situation on the Korean Peninsula is clear. The only way to prevent it from deteriorating further is for all parties to address the root of the problem that there is no framework for peace on the peninsula."

She called for the resumption of "meaningful dialogue" to address each party's legitimate concerns in a balanced manner.

In the US, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council strongly condemned the launch for using ballistic missile technology. He said Washington will take all necessary measures to ensure the nation's security and the defense of its allies.

The United Nations also weighed in. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any launch by North Korea using ballistic missile technology is contrary to Security Council resolutions.

Key words : chinese fighter
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230531_21/

The US military says a Chinese fighter jet performed an "unnecessarily aggressive" maneuver near a US military plane over the South China Sea in international airspace.

The US Indo-Pacific Command released a statement on Tuesday. It said a US reconnaissance aircraft was conducting routine operations last Friday when a Chinese J-16 fighter jet flew directly in front of the aircraft, forcing it to fly through wake turbulence.

A video reportedly shot by the US aircraft showed a Chinese jet approaching from the right and passing in front of the aircraft, which shook in the turbulence.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said all countries in the Indo-Pacific region should "use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law."

To prevent accidental clashes, the US Defense Department requested a meeting between the defense chiefs on the sidelines of an annual security forum in Singapore this weekend. But China rejected the invitation, highlighting the deep rift between the countries.

Key words : south suga
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230601_04/

Former Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and pledged his efforts to further improve bilateral relations.

Suga held talks with Yoon at South Korea's presidential office in Seoul on Wednesday, after having lunch with the speaker of South Korea's National Assembly.

This is Suga's first visit to South Korea as head of the supra-partisan Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union. He assumed the post in March.

Suga and Yoon exchanged views on North Korea's failed launch of what it calls a satellite earlier in the day. They confirmed the importance of cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States in responding to the North.

Suga noted that Japan-South Korea relations are now on track to improve and pledged his own commitment to make them even better.

Suga also had a meeting with senior officials of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union, a nonpartisan group of lawmakers in South Korea. They agreed to promote communication between Japanese and South Korean lawmakers.

The ex-prime minister is scheduled to meet senior officials of a South Korean business body.

Suga wants to use his visit to promote exchanges between the countries in various fields and invite more South Korean travelers to Japan.

Key words : south visiting
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230601_03/

The Japanese government remains on high alert as it expects another attempt by North Korea to launch what is suspected to be a ballistic missile sometime by June 11.

North Korea announced on Wednesday that a rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite suffered a malfunction after its takeoff and fell into the Yellow Sea.

Pyongyang says it will carry out a second launch as soon as possible.

North Korea notified Japan on Monday that it would launch what it called an artificial satellite sometime between Wednesday and June 11.

Japanese officials believe that the North may launch a ballistic missile in that period under the pretext of putting a satellite into orbit.

They say Japan will stay ready to destroy any incoming missiles, using Maritime Self-Defense Force Aegis destroyers in the East China Sea. The land-based PAC3 system in Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is also on standby.

Japanese Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu will meet US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is visiting Japan, on Thursday to discuss how to respond to the North.

Japan plans to step up surveillance and monitoring, along with the United States and South Korea.

Key words : sri lanka
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230531_50/

Sri Lanka has announced plans to start talks with Japan to revive a railway project that was scrapped in 2020.

A spokesperson said on Tuesday the Cabinet had approved the return to talks.

The project was to be funded by Tokyo, partially with yen loans, at an expected cost of around 1.5 billion dollars. A railway was to be built in Sri Lanka's largest city, Colombo, to help ease traffic congestion.

But it was unilaterally scrapped in 2020 by then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Sri Lanka has been mired in deep economic crisis.
It is regarded as a typical example of a country that has received large infrastructure loans from China, in what is described as Beijing's "debt trap diplomacy."

Sri Lanka suspended external debt payments in April last year after its currency collapsed and prices skyrocketed.
Japan chaired a meeting several weeks ago with other creditor nations to help the country resolve its debt problems.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Tokyo last week, meeting with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. Wickremesinghe told NHK he aimed to conclude negotiations with creditors no later than October.

Discussions on the railway project are expected to take place once there has been progress on the debt challenge.

Key words : malaysian
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230531_51/

The Malaysian authorities have intercepted a Chinese vessel believed to be involved in plundering World War II shipwrecks.

The Malaysian coast guard detained the bulk carrier on Sunday for illegally anchoring off the coast of Johor State. The vessel is registered in China.

Officials say it was carrying metals and armaments suspected of having been taken from sunken British wartime ships, including the Repulse and the Prince of Wales. They say some of the ammunition is believed to be still dangerous.

The two warships were sent to the seas off the Malay Peninsula in late 1941 in a bid to stop a Japanese invasion of the area.
But the ships were sunk by planes of the Imperial Japanese Navy three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Local media say the Chinese ship may have been involved in similar looting in waters around Southeast Asia.

Experts say the goal is to extract metals from World War II-era ships. Such metals have properties of lower radiation, and can be used to make medical and scientific equipment. Some of them can fetch millions of dollars.

Key words : ukrainian sumo
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230531_38/

A Ukrainian-born sumo wrestler has been promoted to the second-highest juryo division for the next grand sumo tournament.

Officials of the Japan Sumo Association met at the Kokugikan arena in Tokyo on Wednesday to decide on the rankings for the Nagoya tournament, which begins on July 9.

They agreed to have three wrestlers join the juryo division, including Shishi from Ikazuchi stable.

Shishi, aged 26, is from Ukraine. He made his ring debut at the March 2020 tournament.

He is more than 1.9 meters tall, and makes the best of his height in his bouts.

His performance in the recent May tournament in the lower division of makushita was six wins and one loss.

Shishi is the first Ukrainian sekitori -- a wrestler in one of the top two divisions -- in Japan's professional sumo.