Pompeo and Japan's Defense White Paper Criticized by North Korea

"Condemning Dangerous Anti-China Remarks"... "Abe Administration Criticized for Creating Fear by Threatening with Missiles"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] As the United States continues a passive approach seemingly focused on managing the situation on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's anti-China remarks, openly siding with China. Additionally, it issued sharp criticism of Japan's Defense White Paper, which for the first time explicitly mentioned the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities.

In a Q&A style article published by the Korean Central News Agency on the 15th, North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs blatantly took China's side regarding Pompeo's claim that "China's territorial claims in the South China Sea are illegal." A spokesperson for the Ministry stated, "We condemn Pompeo's reckless anti-China remarks," adding, "He should refrain from meddling unnecessarily in others' affairs, causing confusion in public opinion and creating noise pollution." The spokesperson further criticized, "It is a highly impure idea for a country across the ocean, not even an Asian nation, to meddle in China's South Sea issues, rambling incoherently and linking this to the Chinese Communist Party with slander."

Regarding the U.S. actions blaming China for issues related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 5G companies, the spokesperson raised their voice in criticism, calling it a "pathological perspective." The Ministry's spokesperson said, "Secretary Pompeo indiscriminately slanders the Chinese Communist Party," and "It has been observed on multiple occasions that he approaches our socialist system with a pathological viewpoint." They continued, "He has shown an inherent aversion to the Chinese Communist Party," emphasizing that the background of the U.S. criticism of China is to ▲undermine the Chinese people's trust in the Chinese Communist Party, ▲damage China's international image, and ▲harass and suppress China both internally and externally.

North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also raised critical voices regarding Japan's Defense White Paper this year. The 2020 Defense White Paper, adopted by the Japanese Cabinet, for the first time included the statement that "North Korea has realized miniaturization and warheadization of nuclear weapons and appears to already possess the capability to mount them on ballistic missiles to attack Japan." In response, the Ministry's spokesperson said, "The Japanese government, in the '2020 Defense White Paper' adopted at the Cabinet meeting, has been babbling nonsense about our nuclear possession and even claimed it poses a new challenge to neighboring countries."

They particularly argued that the Abe administration has failed to abandon the bad habit of instilling fear in Japanese society. The spokesperson stated, "The Abe administration, whenever it had the chance, has been spreading fear in Japanese society by talking about our 'missile threat,' using it to realize their sinister political and military objectives, showing that they have not yet abandoned this bad habit," and criticized, "The fundamental purpose is to legitimize militarization and territorial seizure under the pretext of our threat."

Furthermore, the spokesperson warned that the Abe administration's military moves would become a fuse that destroys regional peace and stability and accelerate ruin. The Ministry's spokesperson pointed out, "With Japan's expanded military power as a backdrop, Japan has completely shed the guise of exclusive self-defense and openly talks about possessing enemy base strike capabilities aimed at preemptive attacks. Neighboring countries are watching keenly and are appropriately alert and vigilant."

They added, "Reckless and reckless military moves will become a fuse that destroys regional peace and stability, and like a foolish moth flying into the fire and burning to death, it will bring about a tragic consequence of hastening the regime's own destruction."