KCNA Calls Japan Military Buildup 'Reality, Not Hypothetical'
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- KCNA published a July 7, 2026, commentary calling Japan's overseas aggression 'not hypothetical but reality' and citing Japanese plans to develop unmanned submarines capable of anti-ship attacks carrying torpedoes and naval mines, deployable near neighboring coastlines for pre-emptive strikes.
- The commentary accused Tokyo of abandoning its long-professed exclusively defense-oriented policy and transforming its military into a 'thoroughly offensive and aggressive force.'
- Japan was cited for plans to mass-produce domestically developed long-range missiles, pursue a new ballistic missile with up to 3,000 km range, deploy upgraded anti-ship missiles and hypersonic glide weapons, and acquire U.S. Tomahawks.
- Japan's Foreign Ministry did not answer telephone calls seeking comment on the KCNA commentary.
- On Sunday (July 5, 2026), Kim Jong Un observed the launch of a strategic cruise missile and weapons-system tests aboard the new 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon, ordering the vessel into service within two months.
- North Korea recently commissioned the 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon and has outlined plans to build additional warships, including larger 10,000-ton vessels.
Why it matters: North Korea's denunciation of Japan's buildup — unmanned subs, 3,000-km ballistic missiles, U.S. Tomahawks — lands alongside its own rapid naval expansion: two new 5,000-ton destroyers (Kang Kon, Choe Hyon), a July 5 cruise missile test, and 10,000-ton warship plans. The symmetry undercuts Pyongyang's moral framing, and Japan's silence leaves the critique with no diplomatic rebuttal.
