North Korea has criticized Japan’s establishment of an independent representative office to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), claiming it exacerbates military tensions in the region. According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on the commentary by international security analyst Kim Ryeo-won, Japan’s actions are seen as adding new instability factors to the regional dynamics.
In the article, Kim emphasized that at a time when the Asia-Pacific region’s security environment is severely threatened by the provocative military hegemonic acts of the United States, Japan’s move to set up an independent permanent representative office to NATO is an additional instability factor.
Kim further asserted that Japan, as a former aggressor nation, is openly increasing military power and participating in war exercises, threatening peace worldwide, including in the Asia-Pacific region. This, he claimed, indicates that Japan is a force against peace.
Kim also criticized the growing collaboration between Japan, which denies its history of war crimes and is seen as a regional hotspot even 80 years after its defeat, and NATO, which is known for its indiscriminate expansion policies leading to conflicts. This alliance was described as a significant threat to international peace and security.
North Korea has consistently criticized and cautioned against the cooperation between South Korea, Japan, and NATO in response to closer ties between North Korea and Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Recently, Japan established an independent NATO representative office separate from its embassy in Belgium to strengthen cooperation with NATO.