at 18:30 (JST), September 16

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/20210916183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : government landing point
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210916_10/

The Japanese government has corrected its estimate about the landing points of the missiles that North Korea launched on Wednesday. It now says the two missiles likely fell inside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The Japanese government had earlier announced the two projectiles appeared to have fallen outside the EEZ, based on information it obtained right after the launches.

But follow-up analysis revealed they landed in waters about 300 kilometers north of Hegurajima, an island off the Noto Peninsula.

The last time a North Korean ballistic missile fell inside Japan's EEZ was in October 2019.

Japan's Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo told reporters on Wednesday night that the missiles flew about 750 kilometers with irregular trajectories at an altitude of about 50 kilometers. Japan's defense ministry says that made it difficult to determine where they landed.

The ministry says its analysis shows that two of the three types of short-range ballistic missile that North has launched since 2019 can be maneuvered while they are in flight.

Koda Yoji, a retired Maritime Self-Defense Force vice admiral, told NHK that North Korea may use its newly developed technology with longer range missiles. He says Japan's missile interception system faces the challenge of responding to this new threat.

Key words : north mountainous
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210916_06/

A North Korean newspaper says the country's military test-fired a missile from a train early Wednesday.

Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party, said the newly formed Rapid Missile Regiment held a launch drill.

Photos accompanying the report show a missile rising from a train on a railway track with a large exhaust plume. The newspaper didn't mention what type of missile was fired.

The newspaper says the drill took place in a mountainous area in central North Korea. It says the missile accurately hit a target in the Sea of Japan 800 kilometers away.

The newspaper didn't say whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the drill.

Key words : south submarine underwater
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210915_32/

South Korea has announced its first successful test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

The presidential office and the Ministry of National Defense say the test-firing was conducted at a test center of the Agency for Defense Development on Wednesday, and President Moon Jae-in and Defense Minister Suh Wook attended the test-firing.

They say the missile, loaded on a 3,000-ton-class submarine, was fired from underwater, flew as planned and accurately hit the target.

The announcement said South Korea is the seventh country to succeed in test-firing an SLBM, following the United States, Russia, China and other countries. Officials say the missile is planned to be deployed to South Korea's military in the future.

Moon said the test had been planned in advance and was not in response to North Korea's provocations, referring to Wednesday's latest ballistic missile firings by North Korea.

Moon stressed that bolstering South Korea's missile capability can defer to North Korea's provocations and called on the military to do its best to boost defense capabilities to counter and overwhelm North Korea's military power.

North Korea also has an SLBM development program. It displayed what appeared to be a new type of SLBM during military parades in January and last October.

Key words : sister kim partner
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210916_12/

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister has denounced South Korea's president for attending the test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile by his country.

Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, lashed out at South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency late Wednesday.

Moon had said earlier, after witnessing the SLBM test the same day, that by reinforcing its missile capabilities South Korea can present a clear deterrent to the North's provocations.

Kim's statement criticized South Korea's stance as an "illogical and stupid habit."

The statement said, "If even the 'president' supports the act of faulting and hurting the dialogue partner, it will naturally result in a corresponding action and then north-south relations will end up in a total deadlock."

Referring to the missiles test-fired by Pyongyang this week, Kim called the launches a "part of normal and self-defensive action to carry out the key task for the first year of the five-year plan" and "it is nothing different from the 'mid-term defence plan' of south Korea."

At the same time, Kim denied any intention to sour inter-Korean ties further, saying, "We don't want this."

Key words : taliban caretaker interview
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210916_03/

The Taliban have described their caretaker government as a temporary one and pledged to establish an inclusive administration in the future.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid gave the view in an exclusive interview with NHK in Kabul on Wednesday.

He called on the international community to lift the freeze on the Afghan government's overseas assets and recognize the caretaker government.

Mujahid brushed aside concerns by the international community that the provisional government is made up only of senior Taliban members.

He stressed that discussions are in place to include many other people with the aim of forming an inclusive government.

He also expressed determination to build good ties with the international community through diplomacy. He said when Afghanistan benefits, so will the world, and stability in the country is of importance to the rest of the world.

In regard to Japan, he said bilateral relations have been positive, historically, and the Taliban wish to further promote ties, as Afghanistan is in need of assistance from Japan.

Referring to Japanese doctor and aid worker Nakamura Tetsu, who was fatally shot by an armed group in 2019, Mujahid said Nakamura was a kind person who was devoted to improving the lives of the Afghan people.

He said to the best of the Taliban's knowledge the gunmen were paid to shoot him. He expressed resolve to look into the murder, saying once the Taliban are ready, they will track down the perpetrators and hold them responsible for their action.

Key words : hong kong loyalty oath
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210916_01/

The Hong Kong government has declared invalid the loyalty oaths of seven Hong Kong pro-democracy district councillors, a decision that will unseat them from office.

The Hong Kong government now requires district councillors to take a mandatory oath of allegiance to the territory and China's Basic Law.

The measure was introduced after the mainland leadership revised Hong Kong's electoral law, citing the need that territory should be "governed by patriots."

Anyone violating the oath will be disqualified and subject to criminal punishment.

The seven councillors in question were among the 24 members of the council who became the first to take the oath last Friday.

The Hong Kong government has not explained why their oaths were deemed invalid.

But among the seven are two councillors, including Clarisse Yeung Suet-ying, who have been indicted in connection with an unofficial vote to choose candidates for a Legislative Council election last year.

They are accused of violating Beijing's national security law, which was introduced in 2020.

About 270 pro-democracy councillors who are opposed to the government have resigned since June.

The pro-democracy camp accounted for more than 80 percent of the district council seats. But more than half of them have stepped down.

Key words : singapore booster vaccination
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210915_22/

Singapore has kicked off a booster vaccination program against the coronavirus amid the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Health officials say among the eligible recipients are seniors aged 60 and older who were double vaccinated at least six months ago, and people with suppressed immune systems.

The city state is one of the most inoculated countries in the world with more than 80 percent of its residents fully vaccinated. But community infections have been on the rise. Authorities reported 832 such cases on Tuesday.
The figure was below 50 in mid-August.

Government officials say the booster is necessary to maintain a high level of protection as the immune systems of elderly people may weaken over time and they could become seriously ill.

Key words : china second real estate
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210916_18/

China's second largest real estate developer is at risk of defaulting on billions of dollars of debt. There are concerns the firm's financial difficulties could destabilize the country's entire economy.

Evergrande Group has racked up nearly 89 billion dollars in interest-bearing liabilities after investing in a range of construction projects.

But its real estate profits have declined in the past year after the Chinese government tightened restrictions on the industry.

Individual investors crowded into the firm's headquarters in the southern city of Shenzhen on Monday, demanding repayment on financial products and loans.

Later that day, the company said rumors it was on the brink of bankruptcy were untrue, but admitted it was facing unprecedented difficulties.

On Tuesday, Evergrande announced it may have to default on debt payments as sales continue to decline. The company says it plans to reconstruct its business by selling assets, such as its electric car division.

There are worries Evergrande's financial troubles will spread throughout the Chinese economy. And these risks could affect the rest of the world, as the company has also issued billions of dollars' worth of dollar-denominated bonds.

Key words : three japanese
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210916_04/

The US magazine Time has included baseball sensation Ohtani Shohei, tennis star Osaka Naomi and leading architect Kuma Kengo in its list of the 100 most influential people.

The annual list was released on Wednesday.

Major League Baseball's two-way sensation Ohtani, who was chosen for the first time, was placed under the category of Icon.

Former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez wrote, "He's the modern-day Bambino, and yet even Babe Ruth wasn't stealing 20-plus bases, hitting 40-plus homers and throwing 100 m.p.h. in the same season. Only Shohei can."

Of the three Japanese nationals chosen, Osaka made the list for the third straight year.

Russell Wilson, a National Football League player, praised Osaka for fighting for justice by wearing masks honoring seven Black Americans killed in recent years.

He also wrote, "Naomi Osaka's humility and dedication to others have been spectacular to watch. It's incredibly meaningful that she has been able to talk honestly about struggling with her mental health and share with us her vulnerability."

Kuma was chosen in the Innovators category. The world-renowned architect designed the new National Stadium in Japan, the main venue for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Others include Britain's Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, who expressed their wish to stop being senior members of the royal family.

Among the Leaders list were US President Joe Biden, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Chinese President Xi Jinping.