South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Tuesday described the latest remarks by a senior Japanese official about launching a "preemptive strike" against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as an "overreaction."

"The remarks by Japan's political leaders have created a new situation, and there is concern this could exacerbate the situation," the president said during the dinner with a group of ruling Uri Party officials.

Roh said South Korea would make continuous efforts to prevent the use of military means in any form on the Korean Peninsula.

He said dialogue between South Korea and the DPRK should continue.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe expressed earlier his support for developing Japan's capability to counter-attack in the event of a missile launch targeting Japan.

The DPRK test fired seven missiles last Wednesday, including a long-range missile.

However, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Monday that "it is a different thing when it comes to saying that Japan should conduct a preemptive strike before actually being attacked", as it is a "constitutional issue" and must be studied "carefully."

Source: Xinhua