Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday pledged to strengthen the country’s missile-defense capabilities against Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile threats, in a speech to the Diet.

“Today, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the security environment surrounding Japan is the worst in the postwar era,” Abe said, in his first major policy speech since his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) achieved an overwhelming victory in a snap election last month.

Abe said his government would take concrete actions to respond to the escalating threat from North Korea.

“(I) will strengthen defense capabilities such as the missile defense system and do