Japan, a country gripped by inveterate repugnance towards the DPRK, is acting imprudently without realizing where it stands or where to draw the line.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan recently announced the updated “list of entities of concern regarding the development of WMDs” which included additional six DPRK organs and bodies that are said to have been engaged in developing nuclear weapons and missiles.

In the last century Japan went crazy with developing WMDs like biological, chemical and atomic weapons to realize its foolish pipe dream of the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” meant for domination of not only Asia but the entire world. Today, in the new century, it is trying to realize its unfulfilled past dream by accelerating the development and possession of cutting-edge military hardware. Such a country, instead of duly repenting its past crimes, is clamouring about “concern for development of WMDs” and has included others on the “list of entities of concern”. This truly is such an absurd situation of the guilty party filing the suit first.

The DPRK has achieved precious gains through a long and hard-fought struggle for containing and suppressing the vicious attempts of the U.S. to infringe upon our sovereignty and rights to existence and development. However, Japan vilified these gains as “WMDs” and dared to put the organs and bodies of our prestigious Republic on the “list of entities of concern”. This is a grave encroachment on our sovereignty and dignity as well as another political provocation towards us.

Japan has always been weak in politics and steeped in pro-Americanism. It is foolish of such a country in the first place to take sanctions measures against our country, which advances and makes leaps forward by dint of its own efforts, technology and resources upholding the banner of independence, self-reliance and self-defence.

It is lamentable that Japan who chants DPRK-Japan dialogue at every opportunity has again committed itself to the anachronistic acts of hostility towards the DPRK without considering the consequences to be entailed by them. This reveals the true colours of Japan which is in pursuit of confrontation, not dialogue.

Dialogue and pressure are mutually incompatible. Any form of provocation that shows hostility towards us will surely be followed by corresponding countermeasures.

It is crystal clear that the existence of Japan will gradually disappear from our sight with the passage of time if it continues to repeat its wrong words and deeds, failing to drop its hostility and confrontational stand against us.

Japan would be well-advised to think twice before clinging to the hostile policy towards the DPRK as it will have nothing to gain from it.

O Hyon Chol

Researcher of the Institute for Studies of Japan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPRK