NORTH KOREA WARNS OF MILITARY RESPONSE TO JAPAN DEFENCE BUILD-UP

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused Japan on Wednesday of transforming into a "war state" and warned that Pyongyang would adopt "additional military options" in response. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said Japan's expanding military capabilities posed a grave threat and that North Korea would not remain a "passive onlooker" to Tokyo's military evolution. Kim specifically cited Japan's recent test-firing of Tomahawk cruise missiles, its deployment of long-range surface-to-ship missiles and high-speed gliding projectiles, and its participation in US-led military exercises in the Philippines in May as evidence of Tokyo's shift towards offensive military capacity.

Japan's defence ministry confirmed that the Tomahawk test last week marked Japan's first such firing. Japan has been gradually moving away from its post-World War II pacifist status, with increased military spending, expanded defence pacts and missile launcher deployments to outer islands. Reports of the military expansion follow a new government assessment warning of growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea. Japan adopted a National Security Strategy in late 2022 that calls for acquiring "counterstrike capabilities", including long-range missiles intended to strike enemy launch sites if Japan comes under attack. Kim also accused the United States of driving Japan's military expansion, characterising Tokyo and Seoul as Washington's "shock brigade" in the region.

The tensions reflect the legacy of Japan's occupation of Korea before its 1945 surrender, which continues to shape the foreign policies of North and South Korea. Japan has hosted US military bases continuously since World War II. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in February, has pursued efforts to strengthen the military and broaden regional security roles, drawing repeated criticism from North Korea.