North Korea: Japan Nuclear Ambitions Would Lead to a Great Disaster
Pyongyang exposes Tokyo’s nuclear intent as US-backed militarism and a threat to regional peace
Korea, PUREWILAYAH.COM — North Korea has strongly condemned renewed nuclear rhetoric in Japan, warning that any move by Tokyo to acquire nuclear weapons would trigger “a great disaster” for Northeast Asia and beyond.
The warning was issued in a statement released Sunday by the North Korean Foreign Ministry and carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), following controversial remarks by a senior adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
According to NHK, the adviser told journalists last week that Japan may need to reconsider its post–World War II non-nuclear policy, arguing that reliance on the US nuclear deterrent may no longer be sufficient.
Although the remarks were later described as off-the-record personal views, they rapidly circulated in Japanese and international media, exposing what Pyongyang described as Tokyo’s “long-cherished ambition” to go nuclear.
Pyongyang: Japan Crossing the Red Line of a War Criminal State
In its statement, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said Japan’s ruling circles are openly abandoning postwar restraints.
“The Japanese ruling quarters are openly revealing their ambition to possess nuclear weapons, going beyond the red line for a war criminal state,” the statement said. “This is not a reckless remark or a slip of the tongue, but a clear expression of Japan’s long-standing nuclear ambitions.”
Pyongyang described Japan’s posture as inherently aggressive, warning that nuclear armament would mark a return to militarism under the cover of US protection.
‘Double-Faced’ Nuclear Politics Under US Patronage
The Foreign Ministry accused Japan of hypocrisy, calling it “double-faced” for publicly advocating a nuclear-free world while quietly advancing nuclear capabilities behind the scenes.
North Korea stressed that such ambitions are inseparable from US-led militarization in the Asia-Pacific, where Washington encourages its allies to escalate military postures while selectively enforcing international law.
Analysts note that the same United States that lectures others on non-proliferation continues to shield Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal, enabling occupation, genocide, and regional destabilization in West Asia without accountability — a double standard Pyongyang and other resistance-aligned states have long condemned.
Russia and China Warn of Dangerous Escalation
The remarks also drew warnings from regional powers.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko cautioned that abandoning Japan’s non-nuclear stance would undermine security in Northeast Asia and provoke countermeasures from countries “threatened by that militarization.”
China echoed these concerns, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun saying the comments, if accurate, are “extremely serious” and expose “a dangerous scheme by some forces in Japan to violate international law.”
Domestic Opposition and Atomic Bomb Survivors Speak Out
Within Japan, the remarks sparked criticism from both ruling and opposition parties, as well as from Nihon Hidankyo, which represents survivors of the US atomic bombings.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara attempted to downplay the controversy, reaffirming Japan’s official commitment to non-nuclear principles and claiming Tokyo remains dedicated to “a world without nuclear weapons.”
Historical Irony: From Nuclear Victim to Nuclear Aspirant
Japan remains the only country in history to have suffered nuclear attacks, after the United States bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, killing an estimated 210,000 people.
Following World War II, Japan joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and pledged not to possess, manufacture, or deploy nuclear weapons, instead placing its security under the US nuclear umbrella — a framework critics say has entrenched dependency, erased accountability, and normalized militarization. (PW)