TOKYO, April 21 (UPI) -- Japanese officials say it is unlikely they will try to retrieve North Korean rocket components that fell into the Sea of Japan during a recent missile launch.
A defense minister said recovery work is difficult and could be cost-prohibitive, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported Tuesday.
Vice Defense Minister Kohei Masuda said the government must assess the cost-benefit ratio before any retrieval work begins.
Another consideration would be whether North Korea could claim possession of the debris, another defense official told Kyodo.
On April 5, North Korea launched a three-stage rocket carrying what it said was a communications satellite. The first stage fell into the Sea of Japan and the remaining stages, along with the payload, dropped into the Pacific Ocean, Japanese and U.S. officials said.
Japan initially said it would try to recover debris in the Sea of Japan if it were feasible. North Korean officials said recovery work would be considered militarily provocative.
