TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. officials have proposed putting more anti-missile radar in Japan to help intercept weapons from North Korea headed for U.S. soil, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. Quoting an unnamed U.S. military source, the Asahi Shimbun said the radar would also be intended to better monitor and track ballistic missiles from the communist state heading toward U.S. troops stationed in Japan and South Korea.

Security worries have mounted since North Korea test-fired a barrage of missiles in July and conducted its first-ever nuclear test in October.

Japanese defense officials are considering the proposal, which was made in mid-November, the Asahi said.

The United States currently has anti-missile radar in northern Japan. But that radar failed to pick up missile tests by North Korea in July because it had been monitoring missiles headed for U.S. soil.

Those missiles fell into the Sea of Japan.


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