Kim Yo Jong warns Japan over Tomahawk test, says North Korea will set up additional military options

Published Aug 5, 12:15 PM UTC

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a warning to Japan on August 5 following the Japanese navy's first live-fire test of a U.S.-supplied Tomahawk cruise missile on July 29. In a statement carried by state-controlled KCNA, Kim accused Japan, a 'war criminal state,' of accelerating its transformation into a 'war state' by pursuing preemptive strike capabilities, which she said have entered 'the stage of the actual act.' She cited the Tomahawk test and Japan's participation in a U.S.-led joint drill in the Philippines as evidence. Kim criticized Tokyo's military buildup as contrary to international law and its constitution, and blamed the United States for enabling the test. She declared that North Korea's armed forces will 'set up additional military options' in response to Japan's actions, though she did not provide details. Japan has defended its buildup as necessary due to North Korea's own military threats.