On December 20, the director of the Institute for Studies of Japan under the DPRK Foreign Ministry released the following press statement “The war criminal state Japan’s attempt to go nuclear must be prevented at any cost as it will bring mankind a great disaster”:

Recently, the new Cabinet of Japan is going overboard to sharpen its extremely dangerous military edge that would pale the preceding governments, heightening the vigilance at home and abroad.

The Japanese ruling quarters are openly revealing their ambition to possess nuclear weapons, going beyond the red line for a war criminal state, while drastically revising their military security policies as evidenced by the strengthening of the preemptive-attack capability aimed at turning itself into a war state, the easing of arms export restrictions and the reexamination of the “three non-nuclear principles.”

Reportedly, shortly ago a high-ranking official of the Japanese government unhesitatingly made very provocative remarks, as he made a strong point of the necessity to possess nuclear weapons by Japan, talking about the “security environment around Japan getting more serious” and the “necessity for bolstering up its own deterrent.”

This statement was not made by mistake or out of reckless motive, but clearly reflects Japan’s long-cherished ambition for nuclear armament. It constitutes an open challenge to Japan’s Constitution as well as all the international laws stipulating its duties as a defeated nation.

Such reckless remarks made by a high-ranking official in charge of recommending security policies to the government prove that the Japanese political circle is trying hard to possess nuclear weapons, and clearly show Japan’s bellicose and aggressive nature.

It is a common knowledge of the international community that Japan, which started the research and development of nuclear weapons in strict secrecy during the Second World War, has secretly laid the foundations for possessing the ability to manufacture nuclear weapons at any time after its defeat, and that what is to be done is only its political decision.

As already known, availing itself of the situation of Ukraine, Japan has persistently sought the possibility and way of possessing nuclear weapons by raising the theory of sharing US nuclear weapons with it by deploying them in its territory for joint operation and trying to join AUKUS, a nuclear alliance of Anglo-Saxon countries.

Soon after it was reported that the US allowed the ROK to possess a nuclear submarine, the chief Cabinet secretary, the minister of Defence and other high-ranking government officials of Japan began to openly talk about the need to possess a nuclear-powered submarine which has been prohibited.

All facts go to prove that the Japanese authorities are scheming to pave the way for nuclear armament while examining the reaction of public opinion at home and abroad to their ambition for nuclear possession and misleading the public to get used to it gradually.

Japan is just a rogue state capable of arming itself with nuclear weapons and igniting another war of aggression once an opportunity comes, and Japan’s true purpose of crying out about the threats from neighbouring countries is to justify its moves to become a military giant with nuclear armament as its ultimate goal.

The shameless double-faced act of Japan, which openly talks about the world without nuclear weapons under the signboard of it being the world’s only victim to atomic bombs and works hard to go nuclear behind the scenes, is the greatest threat to be rejected by the international community with vigilance and a reckless act of evoking serious concern among regional countries.

The history of aggression of Japan clearly proves that in case Japan, a war criminal state, possesses even nuclear weapons, Asian countries will suffer a horrible nuclear disaster and mankind will face a great disaster.

The progressive mankind loving justice and peace should resolutely check the dangerous military acts of Japan which is rushing towards nuclear armament with the backing of the US, denying its crime-woven history.

KCNA