Japan approves record draft defense budget amid North Korea threat

The defense budget includes purchases of US military equipment and missiles capable of striking North Korea. Japan’s missile force had previously been limited to munitions with ranges of less than 300 kilometers.

The Japanese government approved a record draft defense budget for the fiscal year starting April 1, as the country increases spending on missiles in the face of threats from North Korea.

Defense spending will rise for the sixth year in a row, increasing by 1.3 percent to $45.76 billion (5.19 trillion yen, €38.65 billion). The biggest cost is 137 billion yen to reinforce defenses against a possible North Korean ballistic missile attack.