North Korea's Kim calls Japan a re-emerging « war state » in rare public address
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a rare public address in Pyongyang on Monday that Japan's defence-spending increases and legal changes amount to a re-emergence as a « war state, » a characterisation Tokyo rejected as « provocative and not grounded in facts. »
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un used a multi-hour speech to the Party Central Committee in Pyongyang on Monday to single out Japan. Pointing to Tokyo's 11 trillion yen ($75 billion) defence budget for 2026 and missile-development partnerships, Kim said Japan was « re-emerging as a defeated war state. »
The speech followed a recently signed US-Japan procurement deal for new missile-defence systems. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said in a statement that the claims were « provocative and not grounded in facts » and stressed that Tokyo's defence spending was « strictly defensive in nature. »
South Korea's Foreign Ministry called « for measured language to preserve regional stability. » The yen fell 0.4% and the Nikkei 225 dropped 0.7%. The White House reaffirmed « full defensive support » for allies. US-Japan joint military exercises will proceed next week on the previously scheduled dates.
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