North Korean missile headed towards its territory, press reports said Sunday as Pyongyang was reportedly readying to fire one.The order may be issued by Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on Sunday or "in a day or two," the Yomiuri newspaper and the Jiji news agency reported.
The order would not be made public so as not to alarm the public, the Kyodo news agency quoted government sources as saying.
Under the order, Aegis destroyers equipped with sea-based interceptor missiles would be deployed in the Sea of Japan so they could intercept a North Korean missile if it appeared likely to land in Japanese territory, Kyodo said.
According to South Korean media, North Korea has loaded two intermediate-range missiles on mobile launchers and hidden them near its east coast, fueling fear of an imminent launch that may further escalate tensions.