It is a well-known fact that Japan has moved full speed ahead along the road to reinforce its military strength throughout the course of 75 years since its defeat in World War II.

On July 7, the Japanese government convened a meeting of the cyber-security strategy headquarters and adopted a draft cyber-security strategy.

The draft strategy encompasses the build-up of defense capacity in cyberspace and Japan’s counter steps such as diplomatic reproach and criminal proceedings in case of cyber-attacks. It also includes matters related to speeding up cooperation in cyberspace with the U.S., Australia, India and ASEAN for realizing the idea of “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

The draft would be submitted in September for official approval at the cabinet meeting of the Japanese government before it is to be implemented for a term of 3 years.

What should be taken seriously, among other things, is the designation by the Japanese government of China, Russia and the DPRK as the countries posing cyber-attack threats.

This is a manifestation of dangerous militarist ambition of the criminal state Japan, which has persisted in readjusting the law to nullify the “peace constitution” stipulating its permanent waiver of the right of belligerency and the right of entry into a war, to step up its militarization even in cyberspace under the pretext of “threats” posed by neighbouring countries, finding no satisfaction in its established foundation for the right to collective self-defense free from its veil of “total defense”.

Japan continues to increase its defense expenses year after year while giving a wide publicity about its “deteriorating security environment”. It has now reached a highest record of ¥ 5 trillion 342.2 billion including the items in the new domains such as outer space, cyberspace etc.

Japan has decided to expand its existing small-scale cyber defense corps into cyber defense forces in the next three years, which includes the ground, maritime and air “Self-Defense Forces” and even set up a Cyber Department under its Police Agency. This shows that Japan has indeed been reborn as a dangerous state of aggression, a war state that warrants vigilance from the international society.

Japan has a crafty scheme to achieve its ambition of reinvasion at any cost by conducting military operation in any part of the world including in the outer space and cyberspace and by finalizing the work to put the “Self-Defense Forces” into actual service and on a modern basis. The dishonest attempt of Japan committed under such scheme will surely invite a catastrophic result.

Cha Hye Gyong

Researcher of the Institute for Studies of Japan,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPRK