North Korea state media says US Forces' Japan expansion raises risk of Korean peninsula clash

North Korean state media has warned that a clash on the Korean Peninsula is now a matter of timing, following the expansion of the U.S. Forces Japan command.

An editorial carried by ​North Korean state media KCNA ​on Friday criticised ‌the expansion ​of the U.S. Forces Japan command, warning that a clash on the Korean Peninsula is ‌now a matter of timing rather than just a possibility. The editorial said the increase in U.S. Forces Japan headquarters personnel showed the command was ‌becoming a full-fledged "war command" and accused Washington of preparing Japan's Self-Defense ‌Forces for conflict in the Asia Pacific.

The comments followed remarks by Lieutenant General Stephen Jost, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, who told Japan's Asahi newspaper that ⁠headquarters ​staffing had been ⁠increased by 215 personnel from a year earlier to strengthen command functions and improve ⁠coordination with U.S. allies. KCNA said recent U.S., South Korean and Japanese ​military cooperation had heightened regional tensions, and that U.S. Forces Japan would ⁠likely be among the first reinforcements deployed on the Korean Peninsula in the ⁠event ​of a conflict.

The editorial also accused Washington of "military adventurism" that justified North Korea developing its nuclear capabilities as a deterrent. The editorial ⁠was the fourth published by KCNA this month criticising the United States, ⁠Japan and ⁠South Korea. North Korean officials have also made several statements denouncing the allies' military cooperation and what ‌Pyongyang calls hostile ‌policies.