TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government apologized on Saturday for mistakenly announcing that North Korea had launched a rocket, as the nation's military remained on alert for the expected move by Tokyo's secretive communist neighbor.
North Korea has said it would launch a communications satellite between April 4-8 between 10:00 p.m. EDT to 3:00 p.m. EDT.
The United States, South Korea and Japan say the launch is a disguised test of the Taepodong-2 missile designed to carry a warhead capable of reaching Alaska and violates U.N. resolutions.
"We caused a great deal of trouble to the Japanese people. This was a mistake in the transmission of information by the Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces," Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters, using the formal name for Japan's military. "I want to apologize to the people from my heart."
The mishap could be an embarrassment for Prime Minister Taro Aso's administration, which is struggling with low support rates ahead of an election that must be held by October.
A fundraising scandal plaguing the main opposition leader has given Aso and his ruling party a bit of a boost, but his public ratings are still only around 25 percent.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura also apologized for the error, which he said originated after Japanese military radar had detected "some sort of flight path."
But he dismissed any suggestion that the mistake would affect Aso's public support, which has been undermined by a series of gaffes and policy flip-flops since he took office last September.
"The people are the most interested in how we will deal with a projectile from tomorrow," Kawamura told reporters.
North Korea has said it would launch a communications satellite between April 4-8 between 10:00 p.m. EDT to 3:00 p.m. EDT.
The United States, South Korea and Japan say the launch is a disguised test of the Taepodong-2 missile designed to carry a warhead capable of reaching Alaska and violates U.N. resolutions.
"We caused a great deal of trouble to the Japanese people. This was a mistake in the transmission of information by the Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces," Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters, using the formal name for Japan's military. "I want to apologize to the people from my heart."
The mishap could be an embarrassment for Prime Minister Taro Aso's administration, which is struggling with low support rates ahead of an election that must be held by October.
A fundraising scandal plaguing the main opposition leader has given Aso and his ruling party a bit of a boost, but his public ratings are still only around 25 percent.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura also apologized for the error, which he said originated after Japanese military radar had detected "some sort of flight path."
But he dismissed any suggestion that the mistake would affect Aso's public support, which has been undermined by a series of gaffes and policy flip-flops since he took office last September.
"The people are the most interested in how we will deal with a projectile from tomorrow," Kawamura told reporters.
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