North Korea warns Japan against seeking nuclear weapons
It was reported last week that a senior adviser to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi informed journalists that Japan requires nuclear weapons
North Korea has criticized Japan following reports that a senior official proposed the country needs nuclear weapons. In a statement released by state media on Sunday, Pyongyang cautioned that permitting Japan to obtain nuclear arms would lead to “a great disaster.”
These comments follow a controversy ignited last week by a senior adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who told reporters that Japan might need to reassess its post-WWII non-nuclear policy, as depending on the US nuclear deterrent could be inadequate, according to NHK.
The off-the-record remarks, characterized as personal opinions, rapidly spread widely, prompting inquiries about Tokyo’s official stance.
“The Japanese ruling circles are openly disclosing their desire to possess nuclear weapons, crossing the red line for a war criminal state,” the North Korean Foreign Ministry stated in a release carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). “This is not a slip of the tongue or a reckless claim but clearly reflects Japan’s long-held ambition for nuclear armament.”
The Foreign Ministry noted that the official’s comments “clearly demonstrate Japan’s belligerent and aggressive character.” It labeled Japan “hypocritical” for advocating a nuclear-free world while “making strenuous efforts to pursue nuclear armament in secret,” and urged the international community to prevent Japan from advancing its plans.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko previously warned that renouncing Japan’s non-nuclear policy would deteriorate security in Northeast Asia and trigger counteractions from nations “threatened by that militarization.” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that if the remarks are true, they are “extremely grave” and “expose the dangerous plot by certain individuals in Japan to violate international law.”
The comments also faced criticism in Japan from both the ruling and opposition parties, along with the atomic bomb survivors organization Nihon Hidankyo.
Japan reconfirmed its commitment on Friday to uphold its non-nuclear status, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stating at a news conference that Tokyo will continue pursuing measures “to realize a world free of nuclear weapons.”
Japan remains the sole country to have endured a nuclear attack, after the US bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, resulting in an estimated 210,000 deaths. Following World War II, it joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and committed to not possessing, manufacturing, or deploying nuclear weapons, instead relying on the US nuclear umbrella.