North Korea condemns Japan’s record defense budget, warns of regional arms race

North Korea has criticized Japan’s planned increase in defense spending, warning that Tokyo’s record military budget could further escalate tensions and instability in East Asia. In a commentary published Saturday, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to request around 8.9 trillion yen ($56 billion) for fiscal 2027. The final allocation could rise to approximately 10 trillion yen ($63 billion) during the budget approval process. Pyongyang accused Tokyo of using concerns over regional security threats to expand the capabilities of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and gradually transform them into what it described as “preemptive attack…