An undated photo released by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 05 March 2026 shows North Korea's first 5,000-ton multipurpose destroyer, the Choe Hyon, sailing in waters near the western coastal city of Nampho, North Korea. Photo by KCNA / EPA
July 31 (Asia Today) -- North Korea warned Friday that a physical military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula had become "a matter of time," criticizing efforts to strengthen the U.S. military command in Japan.
The Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary that the expansion showed U.S. Forces Japan was being transformed into a command center capable of directing American and allied forces throughout the region.
"Today, a physical clash in the Korean Peninsula region is no longer a question of whether it will occur but a question of when," the state-run news agency said.
The commentary apparently responded to remarks by U.S. Forces Japan commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost in a recent interview with Japan's Asahi Shimbun.
