North korea: North Korea on Tuesday accused Japan of trying to build up "actual war capabilities" against Pyongyang, insisting its participation in a series of multilateral joint military exercises involving the United States is an attempt to secure such capabilities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the accusation came in an article by Kang Won-chol, an international security affairs analyst, carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The article specifically criticized the deployment of the U.S. Typhon missile system in Japan.
The article stated, "Japan, which has focused on deploying long-range strike means in recent years by lavishing a huge amount of money as military expenditure, resorts to bilateral and multilateral joint military exercises with the U.S. and its vassal forces more eagerly than ever." It further accused Japan of pursuing a "sinister scheme" to enhance its war capabilities against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and neighboring countries.
The publication of the article coincided with a statement from Pyongyang's defense minister condemning the ongoing Freedom Edge exercise involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, which began Monday, and the Orient Shield joint drills involving the U.S., Japan, and Australia, which commenced on Tuesday. The North Korean analyst claimed that Japan's involvement in Orient Shield is an effort to "strengthen solidarity for coping with various threats in East Asia" and to pursue military confrontation with other regional countries.
Kang concluded the article by warning that Japan's actions could lead to "enormous misfortune," suggesting that the attempt to transform Japan into an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" would be detrimental. He emphasized the need for an "overwhelming and unparalleled war deterrent" to control what he described as a resurgence of militarism in Japan.