North Korea on Thursday condemned growing military cooperation between South Korea and Japan. In this June 28 photo, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-Back inspect honor guards at the Defense Ministry in Seoul. File Pool Photo by Kim Hong-ji/EPA
July 9 (UPI) -- North Korea on Thursday condemned expanding military cooperation between South Korea and Japan as a "foolish act courting self-destruction."
The criticism came in a commentary by Kang Chol Su, section chief at North Korea's Institute of Enemy State Studies, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
"The military nexus between Japan, a war criminal state dashing toward a military giant, and the ROK has recently got more undisguised, further endangering the security situation in the Korean peninsula," Kang said, using the official acronym for South Korea.
He cited examples including a South Korean air force squadron refueling at a Japanese military base earlier this year, as well as a joint search-and-rescue drill held last month and recent defense ministerial talks between Seoul and Tokyo.
