North korea: North Korea strongly slammed the military cooperation between South Korea and Japan, calling it "self-destruction."

According to Qatar News Agency, the military cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo would do nothing to weaken North Korea's deterrence capabilities. The North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Japan's security cooperation is precisely a confrontation cooperation targeting the DPRK. This move is seen as part of a broader effort to build a triangular cooperation system among the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

"It is also revealed in the fact that Japan and the ROK are talking about the 'importance of the US-Japan-ROK cooperation,' deploying long-range missiles far beyond their defense sphere and attempting to possess nuclear-powered submarines," KCNA explained.

Such security cooperation only justifies Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, KCNA insisted. The agency argued that North Korea building up its nuclear force and firmly asserting its status as a nuclear weapons state remains the only way to defend peace and security.