North Korea: Japan's Overseas Aggression Is 'Reality'
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- KCNA on Tuesday labeled Japan's overseas aggression "not hypothetical but reality," accusing Tokyo of abandoning its exclusively defense-oriented military policy and transforming it into an "offensive and aggressive force."
- The commentary cited Japan's plans to build unmanned submarines capable of carrying torpedoes and naval mines, deployable near neighboring coastlines for pre-emptive anti-ship attacks.
- North Korea also pointed to Japan's mass production of domestically developed long-range missiles, a new ballistic missile with up to 3,000 km range, hypersonic glide weapons, and acquisition of U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles.
- Separately on Sunday, Kim Jong Un observed a strategic cruise missile launch and weapons system tests aboard the new 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon, ordering it into service within two months.
- North Korea recently commissioned the 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon and outlined plans for additional warships, including larger 10,000-ton vessels.
- Japan's foreign ministry did not respond to telephone calls seeking comment.
Why it matters: KCNA's criticism of Japan's military expansion lands days after Kim Jong Un personally observed destroyer weapons tests, tying Pyongyang's own naval buildup — including a new 5,000-ton warship on a two-month deployment deadline — directly to Tokyo's perceived aggression on the Korean Peninsula.
