North Korea is ratcheting up its anti-Japan rhetoric

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, captured international attention when she brushed aside U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent overture to Pyongyang that curtailed allied exercises on the Korean Peninsula. What largely went unnoticed was that she took aim at Japan’s defense buildup.

It follows a steady and increasing anti-Japan rhetoric from North Korea as of late. Since early June, Pyongyang issued 19 commentaries and statements denouncing Japan via the Korean Central News Agency — North Korea’s state-controlled wire service and primary outlet for the government’s foreign policy messaging. That is nearly double the amount from the three months prior.