North Korea said it will pursue unspecified ¡°additional military options¡± in response to Japan¡¯s expanding defense capabilities, accusing Tokyo of reviving the ambitions of a ¡°war criminal state.¡±

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said that Pyongyang would not remain a ¡°passive onlooker¡± to what she described as Japan¡¯s accelerating transformation into a military power, according to a statement published on Wednesday by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

¡°War criminal state Japan¡¯s possession of the capability for preemptive attack is a grave threat destroying global peace and security,¡± Kim said, referring to Tokyo¡¯s efforts to acquire long-range strike capabilities.