North Korea Accuses Japan of Provocation Over Nuclear Program Criticism

(MENAFN) North Korea has accused Japan of committing a “grave provocation” after Tokyo raised concerns about Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development in its annual diplomatic report, according to state media.

The criticism was issued on Tuesday by an official from the Institute for Japan Studies, which operates under North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, following Japan’s inclusion of strong warnings about North Korea’s weapons programs in its latest Diplomatic Bluebook, released last week.

Japan described North Korea’s ongoing nuclear and missile activities as a “serious concern,” prompting a sharp response from Pyongyang.

“I cannot overlook its move to say this or that about the DPRK's exercise of its right to legitimate self-defense, while dreaming of shaking the position of a nuclear weapons state specified in the Constitution of the DPRK,” the statement said, according to a state-run Korean news agency.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea’s official name, further rejected Japan’s characterization of its military developments.

The statement also criticized Tokyo’s description of North Korea’s actions as a “grave and urgent threat” and a “clear and serious challenge,” as well as its continued call for “complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement” of the country’s nuclear program.

It added that Japan’s stance amounted to a “grave provocation” that infringes on North Korea’s sovereignty and development interests, while also reflecting what it described as “deep-rooted hostility and confrontational intention” toward Pyongyang.

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