North Korea has sharply criticized Japan’s plan to seek a record defense budget of about ¥8.9 trillion for fiscal 2027, accusing Tokyo of expanding its military capabilities and warning that the move could create greater instability in East Asia.
SEOUL — Tensions over Japan’s rapidly expanding defense spending are rising after North Korea condemned Tokyo’s planned record defense budget, accusing the Japanese government of preparing for what Pyongyang described as a “war of aggression.”
The criticism came as Japan prepares to request roughly ¥8.9 trillion (about US$56 billion) for defense in fiscal 2027. The figure would surpass the previous record and comes amid a broader Japanese effort to strengthen its military capabilities in response to growing security concerns involving China, North Korea and Russia.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, said the proposed increase represented a dangerous expansion of Japan’s military spending. Pyongyang warned that the buildup could bring what it described as “new turmoil” to the region and the world.
Japan’s defense spending reaches another milestone
Japan’s Defense Ministry is preparing a fiscal 2027 budget request of approximately ¥8.9 trillion, up from about ¥8.85 trillion in the current fiscal year. The request is expected to focus heavily on emerging military technologies and the ability to sustain operations during a prolonged conflict.
Among the areas reportedly being prioritized are artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, long-range missiles, defense-industrial capacity and operational readiness.
Japanese officials are also considering additional capabilities involving long-distance attack drones and submarine-launched missiles as part of efforts to strengthen what Tokyo calls its counterstrike capabilities.
Japan’s own Defense Ministry has previously outlined a broader five-year defense buildup program worth approximately ¥43 trillion for fiscal 2023 through fiscal 2027, reflecting the country’s decision to significantly expand its defense capabilities.
North Korea sees a dangerous shift
Pyongyang has long opposed Japan’s military expansion, particularly because of the historical legacy of Japan’s rule over the Korean Peninsula before the end of World War II.
In its latest criticism, North Korea argued that the proposed Japanese spending would allow Tokyo to further expand its military power and prepare for offensive operations. The statement was carried by KCNA rather than presented as an independent assessment of Japan’s intentions.
The warning comes at a particularly sensitive moment for regional security.
North Korea has recently continued developing and testing its missile capabilities, while the United States and South Korea have also adjusted the scale and scope of their military exercises. At the same time, Washington has signaled interest in renewed engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Tokyo faces pressure from a changing security environment
Japan says its defense buildup is driven by an increasingly difficult security environment in the Indo-Pacific.
The country has expanded its defense partnerships, strengthened deployments on its southwestern islands and moved toward acquiring longer-range weapons. Japan has also eased longstanding restrictions on defense equipment exports.
The Japanese government has maintained that these measures are intended to strengthen deterrence and protect the country rather than prepare for offensive war.
Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi recently reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to maintaining Japan’s postwar identity as a peaceful nation, according to reporting cited by AFP.
The budget could become even larger
The ¥8.9 trillion figure is not necessarily the final amount.
Japan’s budget process still has to proceed through negotiations before the government adopts the final fiscal 2027 budget later this year. Some proposed defense programs currently have costs that have not yet been fully specified.
Japanese reporting has indicated that the final defense allocation could therefore rise beyond the initial request, with some estimates putting the eventual figure at around ¥10 trillion.
That possibility is likely to keep the issue under close scrutiny in Beijing, Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington.
Why this matters for East Asia
Japan’s defense expansion is part of a much broader military transformation taking place across the Indo-Pacific.
China has criticized what it sees as Japan’s return to a more militarily assertive posture, while North Korea views Japan’s expanding missile and defense capabilities as an additional threat.
Meanwhile, Japan continues to emphasize the importance of its security cooperation with the United States and South Korea as regional tensions increase.
The result is a complicated security environment in which countries are simultaneously increasing military capabilities, strengthening alliances and attempting diplomatic engagement.
For now, Japan’s ¥8.9 trillion request remains a budget proposal rather than a finalized appropriation. But the reaction from Pyongyang underscores just how closely Japan’s defense policy is being watched—and how even a budget decision in Tokyo can reverberate across the wider East Asian security landscape.
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