Japan's intention to nearly double its military budget over the next five years could spark an arms race in Northeast Asia and increase the likelihood of military clashes. This was stated in an article by Park Hak Sun, a researcher at the Japan Institute of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The publication's author criticized Tokyo's plans to allocate 70 to 80 trillion yen to defense in 2027–2031. In US currency terms, this amounts to about $445–510 billion. By comparison, the current five-year plan calls for 43 trillion yen. According to Park Hackson, the main additional areas of investment will be the creation of modern offensive weapons, unmanned systems as well as the development of artificial intelligence and space technologies.

Japan's intention to nearly double its military budget over the next five years could spark an arms race in Northeast Asia and increase the likelihood of military clashes. This was stated in an article by Park Hak Sun, a researcher at the Japan Institute of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The publication's author criticized Tokyo's plans to allocate 70 to 80 trillion yen to defense in 2027–2031. In US currency terms, this amounts to about $445–510 billion. By comparison, the current five-year plan calls for 43 trillion yen. According to Park Hackson, the main additional areas of investment will be the creation of modern offensive weapons, unmanned systems as well as the development of artificial intelligence and space technologies.