North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticized Japan during a three-day ruling party meeting ending Monday, accusing Tokyo of exploiting current conditions to transform into a war state. According to Kyodo News and the Korean Central News Agency, Kim warned that Japan’s military ambitions threaten international stability.
Kim Jong Un Condemns Japan’s Military Shift
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used a three-day ruling party meeting that concluded on Monday to launch a sharp critique against Tokyo, according to reporting from the Japanese news agency Kyodo News. Citing the Korean Central News Agency, reports on Tuesday detailed Kim’s assessment that Japan has openly abandoned post-war constraints.
Japan, the defeated state in Asia, has transformed itself openly into a war state by seizing the current turbulent conditions as an opportunity to discard all restrictions that shackle its movements to become a military power. Kim Jong Un, North Korean leader
Kim further asserted in his closing remarks at the party meeting that this calls for a violent reaction and great concern from the international community. According to reporting, this marks the first instance where Kim has specifically utilized the phrases movements to become a military power and militarism in his public criticisms of Japan.
Regional Pressure and Diplomatic Alignment
The ruling party address follows recent diplomatic engagements in Pyongyang. Earlier in the month, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the North Korean capital and voiced opposition to attempts to revive militarism during a banquet hosted by Kim—remarks widely interpreted as targeting Tokyo.
During his address, Kim broadened his criticism to include Washington and Seoul. He accused the United States and South Korea of severely aggravating the security climate on the Korean Peninsula through troop modernization, joint military exercises, active espionage, and accelerated national defense building.
Weighing Strategic Choices Amid Regional Tensions
Kim tied the regional friction directly to American foreign policy, stating that the indiscriminate and domineering practices of the United States have seriously affected the forces operating in its orbit—an assessment pointing toward regional allies like Japan and South Korea.
Justifying State Policy at the Party Plenum
Concluding the multi-day legislative gathering on Monday, June 23, 2026, the North Korean leadership framed the mounting external pressures as validation of its governance strategy.
Reality proves once again the justice of all our political options and the path we have followed, Kim declared, defending the acceleration of the nation’s defense capabilities against what Pyongyang views as coordinated provocations from Washington and its regional partners.
