North Korea accuses Japan of preparing for “overseas aggression”

North Korea has accused Japan of pursuing overseas aggression, saying Tokyo is accelerating its military buildup and developing offensive capabilities under the guise of strengthening its defence posture, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports.

The report said the Japanese government is reviewing a plan to develop and fully deploy an unmanned submarine capable of attacking warships, describing the initiative as part of a broader effort to reinforce its "defence system in the Pacific Ocean."

North Korea claimed the proposed submarine would be able to travel long distances over extended periods while carrying torpedoes or naval mines.

Pyongyang argued that, if implemented, the project would allow Japan to conceal unmanned submarines near the coasts of North Korea and other neighbouring countries, enabling preemptive strikes against enemy warships in the event of a conflict and increasing regional tensions.

“If this plan is realized, Japan will have a condition to hide invisible ‘re-aggression monsters’,” it noted.

The statement described the plan as evidence that Japan has effectively abandoned its long-standing policy of "exclusive defence."

North Korea further alleged that Japan's military development has increasingly shifted from defensive preparations to offensive capabilities in recent years.

“It has mass-produced home-made long-range missiles which can be launched from different spheres, including ground-launched, submarine-launched and warship-launched ones, and stepped up the research and development of new-type ballistic missiles with a range of 3 000 km. It is also speeding up the introduction of two kinds of foreign-made missiles including U.S.-made cruise missile Tomahawk,” it added.

Pyongyang also referenced Japan's deployment in March of upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship guided missiles with extended range and Type 25 high-speed gliding projectiles in Kumamoto and Shizuoka prefectures. It further claimed Japan recently positioned Type 12 missile launchers and reconnaissance drones on an island in the Pacific Ocean to improve targeting capabilities.

According to the statement, these developments indicate that Japan's armed forces are increasingly configured for forward deployment and rapid combat operations.

North Korea also criticised Japan's procurement of Israeli military equipment following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, asserting that the country's Self-Defense Forces are being equipped with weapons whose effectiveness has been demonstrated in modern warfare.

“Its rapid acquisition and deployment of preemptive attack and long-range strike means and its mass purchase of lethal weapons actually used in modern warfare go to prove once again that it is not an imagination but a stark reality for Japan to embark on the road of continental aggression,” the statement read.

Pyongyang concluded by warning that Japan risks repeating its wartime past, arguing that any move toward overseas military aggression would have severe consequences for the country.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov