North Korea has accused Japan of seeking nuclear weapons and warned that such a move would bring “a great disaster to mankind,” according to a statement carried by the North Korean state news agency KCNA. The warning was issued in a press statement released on December 20 by the director of the Institute for Japan Studies under the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s foreign ministry.
In the statement published by KCNA on December 21, Pyongyang said Japan’s new cabinet was taking “extremely dangerous military moves” that surpassed those of previous governments and were raising alarm both domestically and internationally. The statement accused Japan’s leadership of pursuing policies aimed at turning the country into a “war state” through revisions to its security doctrine, including strengthening pre-emptive strike capabilities, easing arms export restrictions and re-examining its long-standing principles of denuclearization.
KCNA said a recent remark by a senior Japanese government official openly advocating nuclear weapons possession was evidence that Tokyo had crossed a “red line.” According to the statement, the comment reflected Japan’s “long-cherished ambition” to acquire nuclear arms rather than an isolated or careless remark, and constituted a challenge to Japan’s constitution and international laws governing defeated nations after the Second World War.
The statement further alleged that Japan had secretly laid the groundwork for nuclear weapons development since its defeat in 1945, arguing that the only remaining obstacle was a political decision. KCNA claimed it was widely understood internationally that Japan possessed the technical capability to manufacture nuclear weapons at short notice due to decades of covert preparation.
North Korea also accused Japan of exploiting international tensions, including the war in Ukraine, to advance its nuclear agenda. The statement said Tokyo had explored nuclear sharing arrangements involving U.S. nuclear weapons and had sought closer involvement with AUKUS, the security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. It also pointed to recent discussions among Japanese officials about acquiring nuclear-powered submarines following reports that the United States had allowed South Korea to pursue such capabilities.
According to KCNA, these moves were part of a calculated effort by Japanese authorities to test domestic and international reactions while gradually conditioning public opinion to accept nuclear armament. The statement described Japan as a “rogue state” capable of reigniting aggression if given the opportunity, asserting that Tokyo’s warnings about regional security threats were intended to justify military expansion with nuclear weapons as the ultimate goal.
The North Korean foreign ministry institute condemned what it called Japan’s “double-faced” behavior, accusing Tokyo of advocating a nuclear-free world while secretly pursuing nuclear capabilities under the banner of being the only country to have suffered atomic bombings. It said this contradiction posed a serious threat to regional stability and should be rejected by the international community.
KCNA concluded by warning that if Japan were to acquire nuclear weapons, Asian countries would face catastrophic consequences and global peace would be endangered. The statement called on what it described as “progressive mankind loving justice and peace” to oppose Japan’s military policies, accusing the country of denying its wartime history while advancing nuclear ambitions with U.S. backing.
