North Korea has accused Japan of preparing for a "war of aggression" after Tokyo submitted a record defence budget request for the next fiscal year, a move the state-run Korean Central News Agency said will bring "new turbulence to the region and the world".
The Japanese defence ministry is seeking approximately 8.9 trillion yen, or about 48 billion euros, in what KCNA called a "dangerous expansion of the war budget." The spending request would break all historical records for Japan's military outlays.
Tokyo has recently lifted its self-imposed ban on weapons exports and is pushing to amend its pacifist constitution. Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi last week reaffirmed the government's commitment to maintaining Japan's postwar path as a peaceful nation.