North Korea accuses Japan of preparing an "offensive" military force and denounces its rearmament.

North Korea on Tuesday accused Japan of abandoning its traditionally defensive policy and transforming itself into an offensive military power. In a statement carried by the official North Korean news agency KCNA, Pyongyang asserted that Japanese military capabilities represent a real threat, not a mere hypothesis.

The North Korean news agency specifically criticized Japanese plans to develop unmanned submarines capable of conducting operations against enemy ships. According to KCNA, these vessels could carry torpedoes and naval mines, then be deployed near the coasts of neighboring countries to allow for preemptive attacks in the event of a conflict.

Pyongyang accuses Tokyo of abandoning its defense doctrine focused solely on protecting national territory, claiming that the Japanese armed forces have become a "decidedly offensive and aggressive force." The Japanese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

North Korea has also denounced Japan's efforts to develop and mass-produce domestically manufactured long-range missiles. KCNA cited the development of a new ballistic missile capable of reaching a range of 3,000 kilometers, as well as the strengthening of Japanese capabilities with improved anti-ship missiles, hypersonic gliders, and the acquisition of foreign missiles such as the American Tomahawk.

These accusations come as Pyongyang itself accelerates the modernization of its naval forces. The KCNA news agency recently reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended the launch of a strategic cruise missile and weapons tests on the new 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon.

Kim Jong-un called for strengthening his country's naval capabilities and ordered that the vessel be commissioned within two months. North Korea had recently unveiled its 5,000-ton destroyer, the Choe Hyon, as well as plans to build larger warships of up to 10,000 tons.

This verbal escalation comes amid heightened tensions in East Asia, where Japan is gradually strengthening its military capabilities in the face of regional threats, while North Korea continues its program to modernize its armed forces.