North Korea denounces Japanese politicians' Yasukuni shrine visits as militarist provocation

North Korea issued a sharp rebuke on Monday, criticizing Japanese politicians for their visits to the contentious Yasukuni Shrine and the offering of rituals, describing the behavior as a "neo-militarist frenzy." The critique, published by the Korean Central News Agency, highlighted that the visits occurred on August 15, marking the anniversary of Japan's 1945 surrender, and implied that the act reflects lingering militaristic aspirations.

The KCNA pointed to Japan's recent operational deployment of pre-emptive-strike weapons, revisions to defence-industry statutes, and attempts to amend nuclear-related legislation as signs of an unprecedented military buildup. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s "surprise remote worship" was portrayed as a scheme to heighten a "reinvasion mood" and fulfill a long-held desire for overseas expansion. The commentary warned that such neo-militarist fervor could bring a "storm of destruction" to the Korean peninsula. This denunciation follows an uptick in Pyongyang’s criticism of what it sees as Japan’s accelerating remilitarisation and revival of its wartime legacy.