North Korea protests Japan's plan to deploy long-range missiles

North Korea on March 20 protested Japan for considering deploying long-range missiles on the island of Kyushu by March 2026, warning that the move could make Japan a target for neighboring countries and "cause a constant escalation of tensions" in Northeast Asia, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Japan's Type 12 surface-to-ship missile. Photo: Japan Self-Defense Forces

Japan is considering the plan as part of efforts to build a “counterattack capability” that can strike enemy targets in an emergency. Japanese media reported the plan in early March, citing government sources. The long-range missiles deployed in Kyushu are capable of striking North Korea and coastal areas of China.

KCNA quoted the head of the policy department at the Institute for Japanese Studies of the North Korean Foreign Ministry as criticizing Japan for "recklessly possessing preemptive strike capabilities" and warning that the move would only increase military tensions in the region.

KCNA also declared that "all military means and various forms of movement aimed directly at the DPRK... must be wiped out".

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also expressed concern about trilateral military cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea, saying it was a factor in increasing tensions in the region. Kim pledged to take countermeasures, including further developing North Korea's nuclear forces.

Ngoc Anh (according to KCNA, Yonhap, Kyodo News)