North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong, who serves as a department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, have issued a sharp statement against Japan following joint US-Japan military exercises, reports infohub.kz.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo-jong vowed to prevent Japan's "military evolution" and harshly criticized the recent Tomahawk cruise missile tests conducted by the US and Japan in the Philippines.
The statement stressed that Japan's behavior has now become more evident: previously, it called the defensive measures of neighboring states a "threat" and "provocation," posing as a "peace-loving country." However, according to Kim Yo-jong, this was merely a ploy to conceal intentions to turn Japan into a military power.
She also noted that behind Japan's dangerous military actions stands the US, which provided it with long-range missiles, converted a ship for their installation, and created all conditions for a test launch, including the launch site.
Kim Yo-jong believes that Japan's "military expansion" poses a serious threat to global peace and stability. She pointed out that although Japan has not disclosed details of the tests, such as the waters, the number of missiles, and their range, it is obvious that they are aimed at neighboring countries, including the DPRK.
Kim Jong-un's sister stated: "If descendants of militarists, who inherited the gene of treachery and aggressiveness, take up arms, no one can guarantee that humanity will not again experience a tragic catastrophe." She called Japan a "military criminal state" that, by denying and distorting its history, is laying the groundwork for renewed aggression and possesses the capability for a preemptive strike.
Kim Yo-jong called on the international community to remain vigilant and prevent Japan from becoming a military power. She stressed that the DPRK will not allow Japan's military evolution to threaten its security and declared that the DPRK's armed forces and military leadership will make a "clear military choice."