Japanese official proposes ‘shooting down’ any North Korean refugees who try to enter the country if war breaks out
The Deputy Prime Minister of Japan raised the possibility of shooting refugees
Taro Aso made the remarks when discussing Japanese responses to war
He asked: ‘If Self-Defence Forces are dispatched, will they shoot them down?’
By CHARLIE MOORE
DAILYMAIL.COM
26 September 2017
The Deputy Prime Minister of Japan raised the possibility of shooting down North Korean refugees who try to enter his country in the event of war.
Taro Aso, who also serves as finance minister, made the remarks when discussing Japanese responses to war at a press conference in Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo.
He asked: ‘Will police respond and arrest them on charges of illegal immigration? If Self-Defence Forces are dispatched, will they shoot them down?’
Raising fears that some 100,000 North Korean refugees, some with guns, would try to enter Japan, the official added: ‘It’s a politician’s job to think of an emergency response. It may not be an event in the distant future.’
The South Korean foreign ministry criticised Friday’s comments.
It said in a statement: ‘The government thinks it is very regretful in that a responsible government official of Japan recently made such a prejudiced remark with regard to North Korean refugees in a hypothetical situation that is based on a nationalistic perspective and it also runs counter to international norms related to refugee protection.’
The ministry also called for restraint from making remarks that could cause misunderstandings or have a negative impact on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
It comes amid claims that some 20,000 South Koreans would die every day in the event of a US-North Korean war.
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