Overnight Defense: Japan to purchase US missile defense system | US blames North Korea for global cyberattack | UN to hold new vote on Jerusalem decision

View in your browser     THE TOPLINE: Worries about North Korea were front and center Tuesday. Japan on Tuesday formally approved the purchase of a U.S.-made, land-based missile defense system to counter the increasing threat from the isolated country. "North Korea's nuclear missile development poses a new level of threat to Japan and as we have done in the past we will ensure that we are able to defend ourselves with a drastic improvement in ballistic missile defense," a statement issued by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet said, according to multiple reports. The Cabinet approved a proposal to build two Aegis Ashore batteries, a move that was widely expected. The sites will likely cost at least $2 billion without the missiles, according to Reuters, and are expected to be operational around 2023 at the earliest. Japan already has Aegis capability on four warships, as well as Patriot missile defense batteries, but the Aegis Ashore system is meant to add another layer of defenses. The Hill's Rebecca Kheel has the rest here.    The new missile defense sale to Japan comes as tensions between the Trump administration and North Korea ratcheted up further Tuesday after the U.S. publicly blamed Pyongyang for a global cyberattack that crippled Britain's National Health Service and damaged systems at government agencies in other countries. The decision to call out North Korea for the WannaCry cyberattack is significant because the U.S. has only on rare occasions called out other nations for orchestrating cyberattacks. "We do not make this allegation lightly," White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert told reporters Tuesday. "North Korea has acted especially badly, largely unchecked for more than a decade." The Hill's Morgan Chalfant has that story here.   SOUTH KOREA LOOKS TO CURTAIL MILITARY EXERCISES WITH US AHEAD OF OLYMPICS: South Korean president President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that he is willing to cut back on frequent military exercises with the United States to ease tensions with North Korea ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics. "It is possible for South Korea and the U.S. to review the possibility of postponing the exercises," Moon said in an interview with NBC News. "I've made such a suggestion to the U.S., and the U.S. is currently reviewing it. However, all this depends on how North Korea behaves," he added. The 2018 Winter Olympics start February in Pyeongchang, roughly 50 miles from the demilitarized zone with North Korea. Read more about that here.   National security adviser H.R. McMaster said in a Tuesday morning interview that North Korea is a "grave direct threat" to all countries, including Russia and China.  McMaster also said he does not believe the world can allow North Korea to develop nuclear weapons.  "I don't think we can tolerate that risk. The world can't tolerate that risk," McMaster told "CBS This Morning" when asked if the United States and a nuclear North Korea can "coexist."  Read the rest here.   UN TO HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING, NEW VOTE ON TRUMP'S JERUSALEM DECISION: The United Nations General Assembly will reportedly hold an emergency session on Thursday to discuss President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  At that meeting, the General Assembly is set to vote on a resolution calling on the Trump administration to withdraw that decision, according to Reuters. The vote comes on the heels of a U.N. Security Council vote seeking to nullify any move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The U.S., which wields veto power on the council, rejected that resolution, effectively killing it. Unlike on the Security Council, however, the U.S. does not have the power to veto resolutions put before the General Assembly.  Read more on that here.   HALEY: THE US 'WILL BE TAKING NAMES' WHEN UN VOTES: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned the international body on Tuesday that the U.S. "will be taking names" when the U.N. General Assembly votes this week on the resolution. "At the UN we're always asked to do more & give more," Haley wrote on Twitter. "So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American ppl, abt where to locate OUR embassy, we don't expect those we've helped to target us. On Thurs there'll be a vote criticizing our choice. The US will be taking names." The anticipated General Assembly vote comes days after Haley vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that would seek to nullify any move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Read the rest here.   ICYMI: -- The Hill: Hundreds demand US, UK, French action to end Yemen civil war -- The Hill: Dems push for Homeland Security, FBI briefing on Russian attacks on voting systems -- The Hill: Russia: Trump's national security strategy shows 'imperialist character' -- The Hill: China calls Trump national security strategy 'selfish' --The Hill: Trump taps nominee to lead State Department's East Asia office -- The Hill: Opinion: On North Korea, China is no partner -- The Hill: Opinion: President Trump's national security strategy is a win for America -- Defense News: Here's how the Trump administration could make it easier to sell military drones     Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @thehill, @Rebecca_H_K, @EllenMitchell23         Did a friend forward you this email? 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