North Korea strongly condemns stronger U.S.-Japan alliance, declares Japanese defense chief has designated region a 'military operations zone'

[The Financial News] North Korea has lashed out at the recent visit to the United States by the Japanese Minister of Defense, during which he expressed his intention to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance, claiming it was "tantamount to openly declaring neighboring countries as a theater of military operations."
On the 24th, Rodong Sinmun, a propaganda outlet of the Workers' Party of Korea, reported this while referring to the fact that Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjirō Koizumi had vowed "to focus on strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance."
Earlier, on the 15th, Defense Minister Koizumi met United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington, D.C., where they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral deterrence and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the defense sector.
At the meeting, Koizumi, with China and North Korea in mind, stated, "There is absolutely no wavering in the U.S.-Japan alliance, and we confirmed that our two countries will work closely together."
In response, Rodong Sinmun argued that "the adventurist tendency of Japanese reactionaries, who are trying without hesitation to plunge down the path of overseas expansion and the destruction of peace, has once again been clearly exposed," adding that they "are racing headlong toward infringing on the interests of regional countries and further destabilizing the security environment in Asia and the world."
The paper also criticized the fact that, as the Government of Japan pushes for the early revision of its three key national security documents, Defense Minister Koizumi discussed the introduction of U.S. artificial intelligence (AI), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and aerospace technology.
Rodong Sinmun went on to say that "Koizumi's trip to the United States, aimed at turning Japan into a military power, will only prove to be a foolish course that hastens Japan's self-destruction," adding, "Japan's ruling forces must clearly understand that forgetting the past of their defeat means losing their future."
wangjylee@fnnews.com Lee Jong-yoon Reporter