North Korea criticizes Japan's defense budget and prepares further troop deployments to Russia

North Korea has issued a diplomatic condemnation of Japan, accusing Tokyo of preparing for an ‘aggression war’ following the Japanese Ministry of Defense's proposal for a record military budget of approximately 8.9 trillion yen.

Separately, South Korean intelligence services have detected preparations for further North Korean troop deployments to Russia. While South Korean authorities have not identified signs of imminent movement, reports suggest that approximately 15,000 combat soldiers and 6,000 engineers and construction personnel have been mobilized since October 2024 to support Moscow.

There are ongoing concerns regarding the scale of this involvement, with Ukrainian officials suggesting that between 30,000 and 50,000 North Korean soldiers could eventually be deployed. Additionally, South Korean military intelligence indicates that North Korean ballistic missiles used in the conflict against Ukraine may have seen improved precision due to combat data accumulation and potential Russian technical assistance.