KCNA Commentary Warns Japan against Going Reckless

Pyongyang, April 4 (KCNA) -- The Japanese reactionaries have become all the more pronounced in their moves for arms buildup. Recently the Japan Defense Ministry buckled down to earnest moves to remake escort ship of Maritime "Self-Defense Force" Izumo into a carrier. To this end, it is stepping up the purchase of ultra-modern Stealth fighter F-35 and the introduction of take-off and landing technology from the U.S. and Britain. Earlier, the Japan government decided to deploy the U.S. interceptor missile defense system Aegis Ashore on the land of Japan. As proven, Japan's arms buildup being pushed forward under the signboards of "exclusive defense" and "re-organization of defense forces" is clearly the indication of increased nature of attack and aggression of the SDF. Due to the moves to turn Japan into a military giant that have long been pushed forward, the SDF has undergone remarkable qualitative and quantitative change as perfect attack forces, after going beyond the level of defending the Japan proper. This year alone, Japan decided to spend the biggest-ever budget for defense running at 5.1911 trillion yen and even hinted at a budget for long-range cruise missile, preemptive attack weapon, only to touch off controversy. In March, the general ground command providing uniform control over all the ground SDF units was formed and amphibious task force was established as a special team for landing operation under the pretext of "defending a remote island in the southwest". All this has been carried out as an extension of the moves to revive the "imperial army" system which earned an ill fame for aggression and plunder. Furthermore, the Abe group is thinking of specifying the existence of the SDF in Article 9, a key point of the "pacifist constitution", in order to grant the attack forces legality and provide them with legal ground for an aggression war. All facts highlight the danger and severity of the modernization moves of the SDF which is dashing headlong into realizing the ambition for overseas expansion and this has touched off serious concern of the international community. The Japanese reactionaries should clearly face up to the high vigilance of the international community and should not follow in the footsteps of their predecessors who were put to shame. The SDF can never evade the fate of the Imperial Japanese Army unless it changes its purport of modernization. -0-