North Korea's Kim Yo Jong warned on Tuesday that Pyongyang would adopt additional military options in response to Japan's test-firing of a US-made Tomahawk cruise missile, accusing Tokyo of accelerating its transformation into a "war state".
Kim, a senior official in the ruling Korean Workers' Party, said North Korea would never stand by as Japan advances its military capabilities. She accused the United States of enabling Japan's military buildup by supplying Tomahawk missiles and supporting the tests. The test was conducted by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Aegis destroyer Chokai in the Pacific Ocean on July 29.
Tensions have been building throughout the summer. Japan participated in a US-led joint military drill in the Philippines in May and deployed new missile systems in March. Since July, North Korean state media has published at least six editorials denouncing joint military activities among the US, South Korea, and Japan.