Japan has decided to cancel evacuation drills staged to prepare the country for ballistic missile attacks from North Korea, citing the recent diplomatic thaw following last week’s summit between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Officials in Tochigi prefecture say an evacuation drill scheduled for next week was canceled at the government’s request. Evacuation drills scheduled in at least eight other prefectures later this year have also been suspended.
The drills began last year after North Korea test-fired two ballistic missiles over Japan and launched several others into Japanese waters.
Despite the decision to cancel the evacuation drills, Tokyo still plans to deploy two land-based Aegis missile interceptor units by 2023.
