After a massive upgrade
North Korea describes Japan’s new defense policy as a “serious” threat
After Japan decided on a new defense strategy, North Korea now threatens “concrete measures”
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Japan has decided on a new defense strategy and thus initiated a departure from the previous pacifism. Ironically, North Korea is now criticizing these plans. The government in Pyongyang warns Tokyo against “concrete measures”.
North Korea has criticized Japan’s new defense strategy as a “serious” threat to international peace that is “fundamentally changing” the regional security environment. “By adopting the new security strategy, which effectively formalizes the possession of pre-emptive strike capabilities against other countries,” Japan is causing “a serious security crisis,” according to a statement by North Korea’s foreign ministry, released by state news agency KCNA on Tuesday. Pyongyang warned Tokyo against “concrete measures” in response.
Japan decided last week to comprehensively revise its defense strategy and thus initiated a departure from its previous pacifist military doctrine. Among other things, the plans envisage doubling military spending to two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027, restructuring the armed forces and increasing the missile arsenal. They are also intended to strengthen Japan’s “counter-strike capability” to respond to threats from China and nuclear-armed North Korea.
North Korea criticizes Japan’s departure from pacifism
The formalization of Japan’s “new line of aggression” has “fundamentally changed the security environment in East Asia,” the statement said. Tokyo will realize it made a “wrong and very dangerous decision,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said. He warned that Pyongyang would “continue to show the extent of our concerns and dissatisfaction through concrete actions.”
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The reversal in Japan’s security strategy is due to China’s growing military strength and other threats such as North Korea’s missile tests and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, the plans approved by the Japanese cabinet expressly rule out pre-emptive strikes. Japan remains committed to an “exclusively defense-oriented policy,” the documents say.