North Korea Calls Japan “Double-Faced” After Nuclear Weapons Remarks

(MENAFN) North Korea has issued a stark warning following reports that a top Japanese official floated the possibility of Tokyo pursuing nuclear capabilities. The regime cautioned that permitting Japan to go nuclear would trigger "a great disaster," according to a statement released through state-controlled media outlets Sunday.

The inflammatory response follows last week's uproar when an adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reportedly told journalists that Japan might need to reassess its longstanding non-nuclear doctrine, citing doubts about whether America's nuclear shield remains adequate. media covered the initial report.

Though characterized as off-the-record personal opinions, the adviser's comments ignited a firestorm on social media and prompted urgent questions about Tokyo's true stance on nuclear armament.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry unleashed sharp criticism through North Korean media, declaring: "The Japanese ruling quarters are openly revealing their ambition to possess nuclear weapons, going beyond the red line for a war criminal state." The ministry added: "This is not a misstatement or a reckless assertion but clearly reflects Japan's long-cherished ambition for nuclear armament."

The ministry's statement accused Japan of revealing "Japan's bellicose and aggressive nature" through the official's words. Pyongyang branded Japan "double-faced" for championing nuclear disarmament globally while "working hard to go nuclear behind the scenes," demanding international action to block any such move.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko previously signaled that scrapping Japan's non-nuclear commitment would destabilize Northeast Asian security and trigger defensive responses from nations "threatened by that militarization." Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun labeled the comments, if accurate, "extremely serious" and warned they "expose the dangerous scheme by some people in Japan to break international law."

Domestic backlash also erupted, with criticism pouring in from Japan's governing coalition, opposition lawmakers, and Nihon Hidankyo, the organization representing atomic bomb survivors.

Japan moved swiftly Friday to reaffirm its nuclear-free position, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara announcing at a press briefing that Tokyo remains dedicated to implementing strategies "to achieve a world without nuclear weapons."

Japan stands alone as the sole nation to endure atomic warfare after the US dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during August 1945, resulting in roughly 210,000 deaths. Following World War II's conclusion, Japan signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, committing never to possess, manufacture, or deploy nuclear weapons while depending on the US nuclear umbrella for protection.

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