North Korea Warns of 'Additional Military Options' Against Japan Over Missile Test

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a stern warning against Japan on August 5, stating that Pyongyang would consider "additional military options" in response to Japan's recent live-fire test of a Tomahawk cruise missile. The statement, published by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), accused Japan of accelerating its transformation into a "war state" by exploiting the current volatile international geopolitical landscape. Kim specifically cited Japan's test-firing of U.S.-supplied Tomahawk missiles and its participation in a U.S.-led joint military drill in the Philippines in May. She asserted that these actions demonstrate that Japan's pursuit of preemptive strike capability has entered "the stage of the actual act." This development follows Japan's revision of its key security documents in December 2022, which shifted its long-standing policy of self-defense to include "counterstrike capabilities." The revision, described as Japan's largest military buildup since World War II, paved the way for the purchase of 400 Tomahawk missiles from the U.S., with deliveries beginning this year. Japan has justified its military buildup as a necessary response to what it describes as the "most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II," citing North Korea's military activities as an "even more grave and imminent threat." However, Kim countered that Japan's moves violate international law and its constitution, labeling Tokyo's posture as a "camouflaged tactic to cover up its ambition for a military giant." She also accused Washington of enabling Japan's military evolution by supplying Tomahawk missiles, modifying warships, and providing the necessary environment for the test-fire. She declared that North Korea would "never remain a passive onlooker" to Japan's military advancements that could threaten the security of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Details regarding the specific "additional military options" Pyongyang is considering were not disclosed in the statement. Source: The Diplomat Indonesia