North Korea slams Japan's record defense budget hike, warns of 'security deficit'

North Korea has sharply criticized Japan's significant increase in defense spending, warning that the move will only exacerbate Japan's security deficit. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on December 22 that a commentary in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper stated that Japan cannot secure the future of the peninsula through reckless military expansion.

"Updating war budgets will only increase Japan's 'security deficit,'" the commentary read. KCNA asserted that it is a foolish delusion to believe that Japan's aggressive and militaristic nature can be hidden under the guise of 'defense' and 'self-defense.'

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Japan's security deficit will only increase.

The report comes as Japan's Ministry of Defense has reportedly prepared a defense budget of approximately 8.9 trillion yen for fiscal year 2027, an increase from the previous year's 8.8454 trillion yen. This marks a record high for Japan's defense spending. Furthermore, over 150 projects were listed without specific budget allocations, leading to speculation that the final budget could surpass 10 trillion yen.

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It is a foolish delusion to think that the aggressive and militaristic nature of invasion and war can be hidden under the guise of 'defense' and 'self-defense.'