North Korea Warns of 'Military Options' Over Japan’s Strike Capabilities

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Pyongyang: North Korea has threatened ‘additional military options’ against Japan, accusing Tokyo of shedding its post-World War II pacifism to become a dangerous ‘war state’.

The warning came from Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. She condemned Japan’s recent test-firing of Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles, its participation in U.S.-led joint military drills, and its development of preemptive strike capabilities.

Pyongyang’s sharp rhetoric follows Tokyo’s decision to boost its defense budget by 9.7% to a record $62.2 billion. Japanese officials declared that military upgrades are needed with a ‘sense of urgency’ to counter rising security threats from North Korea, China, and Russia.

Regional ally China has similarly voiced alarm over Japan's military expansion. Colonial tensions stemming from Japan's past occupation of Korea continue to fuel friction across the Pacific.