North Korea Slams Japan's Plan to Allocate 8.9 Trillion Yen for Defense Spending as Reckless Military Buildup...What About South Korea?

[Financial News] North Korea strongly criticized Japan's plan to allocate a record 8.9 trillion yen for next year's defense budget, calling it a reckless military buildup.
KCNA, citing a commentary published on page 6 of Rodong Sinmun on the 22nd, described Japan's defense spending increase as a ploy to conceal preparations for war and aggressive intent. It argued that the claim that militarist instincts for aggression and war can be hidden behind the pretexts of defense and self-defense is nothing more than a foolish delusion.
The basis for the report was the budget request trend for Japan's defense ministry in fiscal 2027. According to the report, the budget is expected to total about 8.9 trillion yen. That would exceed the 8.8454 trillion yen defense budget for fiscal 2026, marking the largest amount ever. In particular, more than 150 unspecified request items were included during the budget finalization process, raising speculation that the total could ultimately surpass 10 trillion yen.
North Korea said Japan's government is outwardly increasing the size of its defense budget, while in reality creating a structure that leads to even larger hikes. It added that the 2026 defense budget also grew to a record level beyond the stated target, and that next year's military spending could expand even further. It warned that such large-scale increases in military spending would inevitably amount to strengthening armed forces for an aggressive war.
KCNA claimed that Japan has been expanding defense spending year after year by citing threats from neighboring countries and adding extra funding through supplementary budgets, turning the JSDF into a modernized force capable of preemptive strikes. It also said that if next year's budget sets a new record, it would amount to a dangerous expansion of war spending that could bring new turmoil to the region and the world.
North Korea stressed that even as its finances worsen, Japanese taxpayers' money is being used to secure long-range strike capabilities such as Tomahawk cruise missiles and to develop offensive weapons, which shows that Japan is far from building a peaceful state. KCNA also said that the just international community will never overlook the military evolution of the descendants of war criminals and will respond decisively with united strength.
North Korea's latest backlash comes amid growing concerns that Japan's efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities could fuel an arms race. Japan has justified higher spending by pointing to the security environment, but North Korea interprets that logic as an effort to enhance warfighting capability and is responding with harsh rhetoric. With the final budget size still seen as a variable, whether Japan's spending will exceed 10 trillion yen is drawing attention, and the confrontation between the two sides could intensify further.

[email protected] Kang Gu-gwi Reporter