Japan was shocked to the bone! Just as Japanese warships made a provocative passage through the Taiwan Strait, North Korea immediately fired a missile toward Japan's economic zone. In response, Japan's Defense Minister Koichi Hata urgently came forward to make statements. On April 19, according to the Sankei News, Japanese media reported that North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula early that morning. Japanese Defense Ministry officials stated the missile is believed to have landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and no damage reports have been received so far.

Upon learning of this information, while on an official visit to Australia, Japan’s Defense Minister Koichi Hata said he had hastily held a press conference at Melbourne Airport. Meanwhile, staff members such as Deputy Minister Miyazaki and Parliamentary Vice-Minister Wakabayashi, who remained in Tokyo, have already begun emergency response operations. Our side will continue to spare no effort and handle crisis management appropriately. Clearly, Japan had just provoked in the Taiwan Strait, and North Korea responded with a missile launch—these two incidents appear unrelated. But why did North Korea do this?

Evidently, the fundamental reason lies in Japan’s ongoing military expansion and its actions that are destabilizing regional tensions, triggering heightened alertness among neighboring countries. Whether it’s Japanese warships deliberately provoking in the Taiwan Strait or Japan intensifying efforts to break through arms export restrictions by openly selling warships to Australia, these actions are clear signs of Japan’s resurgent militaristic ambitions. North Korea fully understands that Japan’s recent moves aim to retrace its old path of military expansion.

The timing of North Korea’s missile launch is clearly a direct warning to Japan’s intentions. Minister Hata, busy in Australia advancing military cooperation, was visibly alarmed by this missile launch—demonstrating that Japan has realized its aggressive behavior is being closely watched not only by China but also by North Korea—and, indeed, by Russia as well. It is evident that the more Japan pursues so-called “security guarantees,” the less secure it becomes in reality.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862855466242059/

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