North Korea's Condemnation of Yasukuni Visits and Rightward Shift, and the Structural Background of Its Hardline Stance Towards Japan

Executive Summary

Following Prime Minister Takaiichi's offering at Yasukuni Shrine and the collective visit by ministers and lawmakers, North Korea has escalated its denunciation of Japan. This response is not a one-time historical dispute but rather a continuation of the framework of 'new Cold War' perceptions maintained by Kim Jong-un's regime since late 2022, which combines criticism of defense spending increases and broadens the scope of pressure on Japan to encompass overall security issues. North Korea is also employing a propaganda strategy that selectively cites domestic protests in Japan and critical statements from China and Russia to build an international justification for its denunciation, asserting that it is not an isolated voice. Should Japan's defense budget be finalized at 10 trillion yen, North Korea's level of backlash could escalate again through physical demonstrations such as missile launches. The South Korean government and businesses should consider that the symbolic conflict between North Korea and Japan is intertwined with North Korea's discourse offensive against the trilateral security cooperation framework involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, and prepare for the possibility that criticisms of Japan combining historical and security issues may be recycled in future commentary on the Korean Peninsula situation.

I. Issue Situation Analysis

North Korea's Condemnation of Japan's Yasukuni Visits and Rightward Shift: Ongoing Diplomatic Tensions Between North Korea and Japan

1. Background and Progress of the Issue

North Korea's hardline discourse towards Japan has been refocused around August 15, 2026, the anniversary of Japan's defeat. On this day, Prime Minister Takaiichi offered a tribute at Yasukuni Shrine but did not participate in the visit directly. Instead, he chose to bow towards the shrine before attending the national memorial service for the war dead. High-ranking officials, including the Minister of Defense and the Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, along with about 90 members of the ruling party and the bipartisan group 'All Members of Parliament Visiting Yasukuni Shrine,' collectively visited the shrine.

The Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency reported this immediately, characterizing it as the "reckless actions of Japanese reactionaries attempting to revive militarism." The Rodong Sinmun referred to Takaiichi's bowing as a "disgrace" and labeled the actions of the visiting lawmakers as a "farce." This is not a one-time commentary. In a speech at the memorial service on August 17, the Rodong Sinmun again criticized, stating that they are trying to "turn back the wheels of history."

North Korea's current denunciation of Japan is situated within the 'new Cold War' framework that the Kim Jong-un regime has maintained since late 2022. North Korea has defined the trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan as an 'Asian NATO' and has treated Japan's defense force enhancement as a subordinate element of this structure. The commentary from the Korean Central News Agency in early August, which defined the U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation as a 'three-in-one threat,' and the subsequent short-range ballistic missile launches in the Wonsan area are part of this same trend. The condemnation of the Yasukuni visits can be seen as an instance where this structural opposition has expanded into the realm of historical issues.

2. Current Situation

On August 22, North Korea issued a separate commentary regarding Japan's Ministry of Defense's budget proposal of 8.9 trillion yen for the next fiscal year. The Korean Central News Agency published this in the Rodong Sinmun, stating that "thinking that the heinous militaristic nature of invasion and war can be concealed under the guise of defense and self-defense is a foolish delusion." This budget is expected to increase to about 10 trillion yen upon final confirmation, and North Korea threatened that it would "thoroughly retaliate with united strength." The Korean Central News Agency, in a separate commentary, referred to this as a "record-breaking war budget," pointing out that it only exacerbates Japan's "security deficit."

At the same time, North Korea is actively utilizing domestic opposition in Japan as propaganda material. On August 19, both the Korean Central News Agency and the Rodong Sinmun reported on a militarization opposition protest in front of the Tokyo Diet building, which saw about 15,000 participants. They detailed that the protesters shouted slogans such as "Defend the Peace Constitution" and "Takaiichi, step down now," indicating an intention to highlight that criticism of the Yasukuni visits and defense spending increases is not solely North Korea's voice.

North Korea is also constructing an international pressure front by quoting critical statements from China and Russia regarding Japan. The Korean Central News Agency has consecutively reported on statements made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson during press conferences on August 15 and 17, even quoting expressions that referred to Yasukuni as "essentially a shrine for war criminals." The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova's denunciation of Japan was also published in the Rodong Sinmun. Kim Ji-young, the chief editor of the pro-North Korean newspaper in Japan, has also resumed contributions criticizing the international community's demands for denuclearization after a two-year silence, indicating a re-entry into the debates concerning the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.

3. Key Actors and Positions

The Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agencyare constructing their discourse in this phase around two axes: one is the historical issue (Yasukuni visits) and the other is the security issue (defense spending increases). Both axes converge under the same frame of "revival of militarism." This aligns with the hardline stance towards the U.S. established after the 8th Party Congress, and rather than managing the Japan-related channel separately, it is addressed within the broader context of U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation.

The Takaiichi Cabinethas chosen a compromise approach of offering tributes and bowing instead of direct visits to Yasukuni, being aware of domestic and international criticism. However, it could not prevent individual visits by ministers, including the Minister of Defense, and the collective visit by 90 ruling party lawmakers. The policy of organizing the largest defense budget in history is maintained, confirming a rightward shift in both historical perception and security policy.

The Chinese Foreign Ministryis the most vocal external actor in this matter. The spokesperson condemned Japan in two consecutive press conferences, specifying Yasukuni Shrine as "the spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism" and the enshrined war criminals as "the main culprits of initiating aggressive wars." North Korea has reproduced these statements in its media, showing its alignment with the pressure front against Japan.

Domestic Public Opinion in Japanis highlighted as a separate actor in the narrative of North Korean media. The protest of 15,000 people in front of the Tokyo Diet targeted both the historical perception and military buildup of the Takaiichi regime. North Korea's detailed reporting on this can be seen as an attempt to utilize the existence of internal opposition to the regime for external propaganda.

4. Key Issues

The first issue is the combination of historical and security issues. North Korea does not treat the Yasukuni visits and defense spending increases as separate matters. It adopts a method of questioning the very identity of the Takaiichi Cabinet within the frame of "revival of militarism."

The second issue is that North Korea's messages towards Japan are subordinate to the overarching goal of countering U.S.-Japan-South Korea cooperation, rather than being independent channels. The denunciation of Japan is not separated from the hardline stance towards the U.S. and South Korea.

The third issue is that North Korea seeks to impose a sense of international isolation on Japan by quoting criticisms from China and Russia and domestic protests. This can be interpreted as a propaganda tactic aimed at enhancing the credibility of its messages rather than a solitary denunciation.

The fourth issue is the planned revision of Japan's three major security documents in December. As this date approaches, there is a high likelihood of repeated discourse battles surrounding the Takaiichi Cabinet's constitutional reform and military buildup policies, and the frequency of North Korea's denunciations of Japan may correlate with this schedule.

References

[1] [Rodong Sinmun] Condemnation of Reckless Actions

[2] [EAI East Asia Institute] [North Korea's New Cold War Discourse Series] ⑤ Japan's Perception and Strategy Regarding North Korea's New Cold War Theory: Strengthening Japan's Defense Capability and Global Normative Power

[3] [Korean Central News Agency] Reckless Actions of Japanese Reactionaries Attempting to Revive Militarism

[4] [EAI East Asia Institute] Analysis of the Risk of Regional Arms Race and Strengthening of North Korea's Tactical Nuclear Doctrine

[5] [Korean Central News Agency] Chinese Foreign Ministry Demands Japan to Seriously Reflect on Its History of Invasion

[6] [EAI East Asia Institute] The Impact of Japan's Defense White Paper and Sino-Japanese Security Conflict: An Analysis of the Situation Ahead of the December Revision of the Three Major Security Documents

[7] [Rodong Sinmun] Actions to Reproduce Past Crimes

[8] [EAI East Asia Institute] [Global NK Interview] The Future of Japan-South Korea Security Cooperation in the Era of Advanced North Korean Nuclear Capabilities

[9] [Rodong Sinmun] Condemnation of Reckless Actions

[10] [EAI East Asia Institute] North Korea's Missile Launches and Criticism of U.S.-Japan-South Korea Trilateral Cooperation: Structural Opposition and Response Directions

[11] [Rodong Sinmun] Condemnation of Japan's Attempts to Conceal and Distort Its History of Invasion

[12] [Channel News Asia] North Korea Says Record-High Japan Defence Budget Would Risk 'Turmoil'

[13] [Korean Central News Agency] Condemnation of Japan's Attempts to Conceal and Distort Its History of Invasion

[14] [NK News] Pro-North Korea Newspaper Chief in Japan Returns to Foreign-Policy Polemics

[15] [Kuwait Times] N Korea Says Japan Defense Budget Would Risk ‘Turmoil’

[16] [Yonhap (연합뉴스)] N. Korea Denounces Japan's Record Defense Budget as 'War Preparation'

[17] [Korean Central News Agency] Russia Condemns Japan's Shameless and Cowardly Actions

[18] [Hankyoreh] North Korea Threatens Thorough Retaliation Against Japan's Push for Record Defense Budget

[19] [Rodong Sinmun] Condemnation of Japan's Shameless and Cowardly Actions

[20] [Korean Central News Agency] Protests Against the Government's Militarization Policy in Japan

[21] [Rodong Sinmun] Protests Against the Government's Militarization Policy in Japan

[22] [Korean Central News Agency] Commentary from the Korean Central News Agency - The Record-Breaking War Budget Will Only Increase Japan's 'Security Deficit'

[23] [Rodong Sinmun] Commentary from the Korean Central News Agency

[24] [Rodong Sinmun] Protests Against the Reckless Remarks of Japanese Officials

[25] [Rodong Sinmun] Do Not Engage in Foolish Gambling that Invites Disaster