US-Japan agree on new defense system to counter North Korea ballistic missiles Larry Downing / AFP - Getty Images Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, center, disembarks from his aircraft after arriving at US Yokota air base in Japan on Sunday. TOKYO -- U.S. and Japanese officials have agreed to put a second defense system in Japan aimed at protecting the country from the threat of a missile attack from North Korea, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Monday. It will be in the south of the country, U.S. officials said, but not in Okinawa. Much at stake for US as tensions rise in troubled China seas Morimoto said it would not be appropriate at this time to specify a location for the new radar, and said a date for its deployment has not yet been set. More China coverage on our Behind the Wall blog More North Korea coverage from NBCNews.com North Korea has long been trying to build a nuclear arsenal, has also been working on a ballistic missile which would be able to reach the U.S. mainland. However, its long-range rocket tests have to date all failed. David Guttenfelder / AP In this March 9, 2011 photo, a girl plays the piano inside the Changgwang Elementary School in Pyongyang, North Korea. AP Photo/David Guttenfelder Elizabeth Dalziel / AP From work to play, see pictures from inside the secretive country. Territorial disputes The defense chief is urging countries involved in territorial disputes in the region to find a way to peacefully resolve those problems before they spark provocations and violence. Panetta's visit to Japan also included discussions with Morimoto about the deployment of V-22 Ospreys to the southwestern island of Okinawa. Tens of thousands of people have protested the hybrid aircraft's planned use, saying they are unsafe. Kcna / AFP - Getty Images A pictorial look at the North Korean leader through the years The U.S. had hoped to have the aircraft in place as early as next month, but Morimoto said no specific date has been set on that matter, either.