Key facts
- North Korean state media KCNA criticized the expansion of U.S. Forces Japan command.
- KCNA warned that a clash on the Korean Peninsula is now a matter of timing.
- The editorial stated that U.S. Forces Japan headquarters staffing increased by 215 personnel.
- North Korea views the expansion as preparation for conflict and justification for its nuclear deterrent.
- This marks the fourth such editorial from KCNA this month criticizing U.S., Japan, and South Korea military cooperation.
North Korean state media outlet KCNA published an editorial criticizing the expansion of the U.S. Forces Japan command, warning that a clash on the Korean Peninsula is now a matter of timing rather than mere possibility. The editorial stated that the increase in headquarters personnel indicated the command was becoming a full-fledged "war command" and accused Washington of preparing Japan's Self-Defense Forces for conflict in the Asia Pacific.
These comments followed remarks by Lieutenant General Stephen Jost, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, who told Japan's Asahi newspaper that headquarters staffing had been increased by 215 personnel from a year earlier to strengthen command functions and improve coordination with U.S. allies. KCNA asserted that recent military cooperation among the U.S., South Korea, and Japan had heightened regional tensions, and that U.S. Forces Japan would likely be among the first reinforcements deployed to the Korean Peninsula in the event of a conflict.