Tokyo flags escalating risk from North Korea’s expanding arsenal

Japan has warned that North Korea’s accelerating weapons development poses an increasingly urgent threat to regional security, following a series of recent tests by Pyongyang, Japan Today reports.

Speaking at a press conference, Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi described North Korea’s military activities as “an increasingly grave and urgent threat” to Japan and the wider international community.

His remarks came after North Korean state media reported that the country had tested multiple weapons systems over three days through Wednesday, including a ballistic missile equipped with a cluster-bomb warhead. Earlier, South Korea’s military said it had detected several ballistic missiles launched toward the Sea of Japan.

“We view North Korea's nuclear and missile development, including the latest launches, as a threat to the peace and security of Japan and the international community, and something we can't accept,” Koizumi said.

He added that, in addition to advancing its nuclear and missile programs, North Korea is also strengthening its conventional military capabilities.

Koizumi emphasized that Japan would continue to coordinate closely with the United States, South Korea, and other partners to ensure the full implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibiting North Korea from using ballistic missile technology.

Separately, Koizumi declined to comment on a protest lodged by Russia earlier in the week regarding a Japanese drone company’s investment in a Ukrainian firm developing interceptor drones. He cited the sensitive nature of diplomatic exchanges and private-sector activities.

When asked about the possibility of Japan acquiring Ukrainian-made drones in the future, Koizumi said procurement decisions would be made through “fair and transparent procedures,” based on operational requirements, cost considerations, maintenance needs, and the broader security environment, without presuming purchases from any particular country.

By Vafa Guliyeva