North Korean leader Kim criticises Japan as turning into ‘war state’
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- Kim Jong Un criticized Japan as a "war state" in a June 22 concluding speech at a three-day ruling party meeting, with state media KCNA reporting his remarks on June 23.
- It is believed to be the first time Kim used the phrases "moves to become a military power" and "militarism" against Japan specifically.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed opposition to reviving "militarism" during his June visit to Pyongyang, with his remarks apparently also targeting Japan.
- Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara rejected Kim's characterization, said Japan's "exclusively defence-oriented" policy is unchanged, and urged North Korea to implement UN Security Council resolutions on its nuclear and missile activities.
- Kim accused the US and South Korea of "extremely aggravating" the Korean Peninsula through military modernization, drills, and espionage, calling both "satellite forces" of Washington.
- Kim vowed to accelerate defense build-up with nuclear technology as a basis, setting a stated goal to "overtake the world" in defense capabilities, per KCNA.
- Kim defined South Korea as "the most hostile state" and mandated strict adherence to the "principle of struggle against the enemy."
Why it matters: Kim paired Japan-bashing with a concrete vow to accelerate nuclear-armed defense capabilities, stating a goal to "overtake the world." The convergence with Xi's identical "militarism" language against Japan within weeks gives Pyongyang a diplomatic echo chamber. For Tokyo, defending its military normalization against a now-united Beijing-Pyongyang framing narrows its diplomatic room.
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