North Korea on Japan's Massive Defense Spending: 'Cannot Hide War-Waging Nature'

North Korea has sharply criticized Japan's significant increase in its defense budget, asserting that Tokyo can no longer conceal its militaristic ambitions. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, published an article titled 'One Must Not Forget the Lessons of History,' directly attacking Japan's military spending and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's vision for a "strong Japan."

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Today, Japan can no longer hide its true colors as a war-waging nation.

The newspaper highlighted that Japan's allocated military budget for fiscal year 2026, when compared to its projected GDP, represents the largest sum in over a decade. This substantial increase, it argued, signals an aggressive expansion of military capabilities in the coming year. The article further contended that Kishida's rhetoric about making Japan a "proactive pacifist country" is a thinly veiled continuation of its militaristic ideology.

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The 'strong Japan' rhetoric touted by the current ruling power strongly echoes the militaristic discourse of 'making Japan an active pacifist country.'

North Korea invoked Japan's wartime past, referencing the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" and the subsequent "shameful defeat." The article served as a stark warning, suggesting that Japan's current path, if it forgets these historical lessons, leads to a bleak future. This strong condemnation reflects Pyongyang's long-standing security concerns and its perception of Japan's rearmament as a direct threat to regional stability.

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What is the final destination of the path that neo-militarism is leading Japan down? The past, stained with aggression, war, and crimes against humanity, provides a clear answer.