The breaking news of the Japanese media 'bombing the North'...Is 'Asian version of NATO' speeding up discussions?

[Anchor]
When North Korea blew up the inter-Korean road, Japanese media reported it as a breaking news, paying attention to the possibility of North Korea's further provocations.

Some observers say that Prime Minister Ishiba's discussion of the "Asian version of NATO" may be gaining momentum as tensions in the situation rise, including China's encirclement exercise in Taiwan.

Correspondent Kim Se-ho's report from Tokyo.

[Reporter]
Major Japanese media broke the news that North Korea blew up the inter-Korean road.

[Japan TBS Broadcasting: News at this time, first of all, breaking news. North Korea blew up a road connecting to South Korea today.

It also reported in detail about our military's counter-fire measures.

The Japanese government said, following China's recent invasion of territories and Taiwan siege drills,

North Korea's bombing is expected to speed up discussions on strengthening defense capabilities as tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalate.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reportedly ordered a party-government discussion on the so-called "Asian version of NATO," which seemed to take a step back for a while.

The Japanese government will also hold separate meetings with South Korea, Australia and New Zealand during the NATO Defense Ministers' Meeting.

This is the first time that four countries will gather separately without the United States or NATO members.

[Ken Nakatani / Japan Defense Minister: Taking this opportunity to share the awareness that security in Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indo-Pacific is indispensable, and to strengthen the defense and security links between NATO and four Indo-Pacific countries.]

Strengthening military cooperation with North Korea and Russia has increased security contacts between NATO and Indo-Pacific countries,

Japan is expected to make the most of this in the conception of a collective defense system in Asia.

The Korea-U.S.-Japan Vice Ministerial Council and the Korea-Japan Vice Ministerial Meeting are expected to further materialize the cooperation plan between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan in preparation for additional provocations after the explosion of the inter-Korean road.

I'm Kim Se-ho from YTN in Tokyo.