22 hours ago 4

North Korea Fires Back at Japan’s US Missile Ambitions After Hegseth Visit

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth had visited Japan as part of his debut Asia tour, meeting with his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani. Hegseth had announced an upgrade of the US military command in Japan to a new “war-fighting headquarters.”

The recent agreement by Japan and the United States on co-producing air-to-air missiles is a clear act of military aggression aimed at stoking regional tensions, stated North Korea’s state news agency KCNA.

“Certainly, the center of gravity of the US hegemony-oriented military security strategy is changing and it is a new warning signal for the Asia-Pacific regional society including the countries in Northeast Asia,” an official of DPRK’s defense ministry who did not name specific countries was cited as saying.

It was emphasized that “the US has connived at and encouraged Japan’s moves for a military giant since last century.”

In effect, the US continues to push to make Japan a frontline force, with its key Asian ally already hosting:

🔸around 50,000 US military personnel,
🔸squadrons of fighter squadrons,
🔸America’s only forward deployed aircraft carrier strike group.

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— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) March 30, 2025

The US-Japan deal that drew North Korea's flak was secured during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent visit, and aims to fast-track co-production of the AIM-120 air-to-air missile system.