AFP, SEOUL: North Korea on Wednesday attacked Japan's moves to build up its missile defence system as part of a planned nuclear strike against Pyongyang.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said “Japan is now rounding off its nuclear weaponization at its final phase” and was capable of producing “thousands of nuclear warheads” overnight.
“This can not be construed (as anything other) than part of its plan to mount a preemptive nuclear attack on the DPRK,” KCNA said.
Japan last month decided to adopt ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems to protect itself from emerging terrorist threats, weapons of mass destruction and North Korean missiles.
Japan will introduce a US-developed system for now and continue to conduct joint research with the United States to improve its missile defenses, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said in a statement.
Japanese “reactionaries” are making much ado about the “fictitious” nuclear and missile threats from North Korea in a bid to justify their moves for nuclear weaponization, KCNA added.
In reply, the communist state would build a “strong nuclear deterrence” to cope with threats from the United States and Japan.
North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific in 1998, prompting Tokyo to launch joint research with the United States to develop missile defense systems the following year.
Pyongyang's latest attack comes amid diplomatic efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons drive.
Six nation talks in August ended inconclusively and China has been struggling to get agreement to convene a new round of negotiations involving itself, the United States, the two Koreas, Russia and Japan.
North Korea recently offered to freeze its nuclear weapons drive in return for concessions, including an end to US sanctions and a resumption of energy aid.
Washington is holding out for a commitment from Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear programme entirely.
