North Korea’s state-run news agency KCNA published a commentary Tuesday taking aim at Japan’s military growth, asserting that Japanese overseas aggression is “not hypothetical but reality.”
The piece specifically highlighted Japan’s reported plans to develop unmanned submarines capable of conducting anti-ship attacks. According to the commentary, those vessels would be able to carry torpedoes and naval mines and could be positioned near the shores of neighboring countries, enabling pre-emptive strikes against enemy ships during a conflict.
KCNA accused Tokyo of walking away from its long-held policy of defense-only military operations, claiming Japan has transformed its armed forces into what it called a “thoroughly offensive and aggressive force.”
The commentary also pointed to several other Japanese military developments, including efforts to mass produce domestically built long-range missiles, the pursuit of a new ballistic missile with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), the deployment of upgraded anti-ship missiles and hypersonic glide weapons, and the acquisition of foreign-made missiles, including U.S. Tomahawks.
Japan’s foreign ministry did not respond to telephone calls requesting comment on the criticism.
The KCNA commentary arrives at a time when North Korea has been drawing attention to its own naval expansion. On Sunday, the agency reported that leader Kim Jong Un watched the launch of a strategic cruise missile and observed weapons tests conducted aboard the new 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon.
Kim has called for bolstering the country’s naval combat strength and directed the ship to be put into active service within two months.
North Korea recently brought the 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon into commission and has announced intentions to construct additional warships, including larger vessels weighing in at 10,000 tons.
