SEOUL, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- North Korea on Wednesday denounced Japan's new defense equipment agreement with Canada, accusing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government of accelerating what it called a drive toward militarization and overseas aggression.
An article in Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers' Party newspaper, described Japan as a "war criminal nation" and warned that Tokyo's expanding military partnerships amount to the formation of a "de facto military alliance" with NATO members and regional countries.
The criticism comes days after Takaichi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a landslide election victory, strengthening her hand as she pushes to revise Japan's pacifist constitution and formally recognize the Self-Defense Forces as a military.
Signed in late January, the agreement allows Japan and Canada to jointly develop military systems and share technology, and permits Tokyo to export defense hardware to Ottawa.
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