North Korea has issued a strong warning over Japan’s expanding military capabilities and its recent test launch of a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile, saying Pyongyang will take additional military measures if it deems them necessary in response to Tokyo’s actions.
The remarks were made by Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in a statement published on Wednesday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim accused Japan of moving beyond the limits of its self-defense policy and pursuing capabilities that would enable it to conduct pre-emptive strikes and military operations beyond its territory. She argued that such developments pose a security concern not only for North Korea but for the wider region.
In the statement, Kim referred to Japan’s recent test launch of a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile from the Aegis destroyer JS Chokai in the Pacific Ocean. She also criticized Japan’s other missile tests and its participation in a U.S.-led joint military exercise in the Philippines held in May.
Kim further accused the United States of directly contributing to Japan’s military expansion by supplying Tomahawk missiles, assisting with the technical modification of Japanese warships and supporting missile testing.
She said Pyongyang would prepare new military options to counter any Japanese military activities that could threaten North Korea’s security, although she did not specify what measures might be taken.
Regional security analysts say North Korea is seeking to portray Japan’s military modernization as a growing threat in order to justify future missile tests or further expansion of its weapons programs on political and strategic grounds.
Security tensions in East Asia have continued to intensify in recent years, driven by North Korea’s advancing missile programme and the deepening defence cooperation between Japan and the United States.
Source: Reuters, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).