It is “absolutely impossible to stand idly by” as Japan invests in its long-range strike capabilities, the North Korean news agency said on Sunday.
Tensions on the peninsula and in the region continue to simmer as Tokyo reaffirmed its support for Ukraine, which is fighting Pyongyang’s fighters in Russia.
North Korea’s KCNA news agency said in a commentary published Sunday that “the regional situation has become more dangerous than ever due to the war of aggression between the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea targeting our sacred nation. The Republic of Korea, or ROK, is the official name of South Korea.
Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have conducted joint military exercises in recent days.
Tokyo’s investment in the “capacity to attack enemy bases,” KCNA wrote, “is another example of Japan’s renewed fervor and war fever reaching extremes.”
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Japan is a close ally of the United States and, like South Korea, is deeply concerned about North Korea’s bellicose rhetoric and the help Pyongyang is said to receive from Russia for its weapons programs. and nuclear development.
North Korea has conducted numerous missile tests in recent months – despite United Nations sanctions – including what it considers a new intercontinental ballistic missile known as the Hwasong-19.
Tokyo announced earlier this year that it planned to increase defense spending again, as the world “entered a new era of crisis.”
At the end of 2022, the Japanese government announced that it would invest in “counterattack capabilities,” or long-range cruise missiles. Tokyo has described building up its stockpiles of these weapons as “a minimum measure necessary for self-defense”.
“If Japan continues to rely solely on its ballistic missile defenses, it will become increasingly difficult to fully respond to ballistic threats with the only existing missile defense network,” the Tokyo government said.
“For this reason, Japan requires counterattack capabilities: capabilities that, in the case of missile attacks by an adversary, allow Japan to launch effective counterattacks against the adversary to prevent further attacks while defending against incoming missiles.”
In July 2024, Tokyo said it would focus on diplomacy, but added that these efforts must be supported by counterattack capabilities that are “essential to deter the invasion of Japan.”
“The pre-emptive strike ambitions of Japanese reactionaries, which pose a serious threat to regional peace and security, are becoming more blatant day by day,” KCNA wrote.
News week contacted the Japanese Embassy in the United States by email for comment.
Japan is working with the United States to develop new air defense systems capable of intercepting hypersonic weapons, called Glide Phase Interceptor, which are expected to be deployed in the mid-2030s.
North Korea has said it has tested hypersonic weapons and Russia has widely used hypersonic missiles against Ukraine. Kiev leader Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Moscow fired its Kinzhal and Zircon hypersonic missiles at Ukraine overnight. China has also increased its hypersonic weapons programs.
On Saturday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said they “share serious concerns” about Pyongyang’s missile development and its relations with Moscow, including the deployment of North Korean troops. Korean forces to fight Ukrainian forces in Russia.
The two leaders said they would “continue to work closely,” as well as with the United States, according to a Japanese government statement.
Australian Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday that Canberra would have closer military ties with Japan and the United States, with Tokyo’s Rapid Deployment Amphibious Brigade regularly deployed to Australia.
Pyongyang has moved closer to Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The United States confirmed earlier this month that North Korean troops had been involved in clashes with the Ukrainian army in the Kursk region, southwest Russia.
About 12,000 North Korean troops have been deployed in Russia, according to South Korean, U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya visited kyiv on Saturday to express Tokyo’s “strong support” for Ukraine and its “grave concerns” over military ties between North Korea and Russia, the minister said. Japanese government.
South Korea’s military said Sunday that North Korea had jammed GPS signals across the border on the peninsula for the 10th consecutive day, according to local media.
