North Korea says Japan's planned missile drill shows 'intention' to 'attack' neighbors
Japan is scheduled to conduct its first-ever domestic surface-to-ship missile launching drill in June
ISTANBUL
North Korea on Saturday called Japan's plan to conduct a surface-to-ship missile launching drill in June in the northern island Hokkaido an intention to "launch a surprise attack on neighbors."
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) earlier announced that armed forces will perform its first domestic firing exercise involving the launch of surface-to-ship missiles, marking a first since previous drills were conducted in the US and Australia, according to the Diplomat.
"It is the cunning intention of Japan to launch a surprise preemptive attack on the neighboring countries while routinely conducting the drills of long-range strike means in its country under the absurd pretext of 'security environment getting serious'," the state-run North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary on Saturday.
This move demonstrates that Tokyo "has broken the precedent whereby it had mastered the capability of conducting a war of aggression by waging missile launching drill abroad under the signboard of 'exclusive defense' so far existed for mere form's sake, and that it has embarked upon the practical action for launching a direct attack from the archipelago where huge missile forces are deployed," the commentary said.
The drill will be conducted with the Type 88 surface-to-ship missile, which is a truck-mounted anti-ship missile with an approximate range of 100 kilometers (62 miles).
The commentary stated that a "new-type ballistic missile" is in the works with a range of 3,000 km (1,864 miles).
Asia-Pacific countries are "paying strict attention to the military moves of Japan," it went on to say.
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