DPRK lashes out at Japan for joining military drill with US

PYONGYANG, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday lashed out at Japan for strengthening military cooperation with the United States, calling it an anti-DPRK move.

The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had vowed that Japan would "keep itself on a high alert based on the firm Japan-U.S. alliance" after the DPRK test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile late last month.

Accusing Tokyo of "building public opinion, reversing black and white," the commentary said Japan "is motivated by the cunning calculation to catch fish in troubled waters by zealously joining its American master in its anti-DPRK moves."

"The ulterior intention of Japan is to become a military giant and attain the re-invasion ambition, persisting in the pro-U.S. policy," it said.

The commentary was released after a joint two-day military drill by South Korea, the United States and Japan to track ballistic missiles in waters near the Korean Peninsula and Japan kicked off Monday.

A South Korean Aegis destroyer, two U.S. Aegis-equipped ships and a Japanese Aegis destroyer were deployed in the drill.

The battleships conducted a computer simulation drill to detect and track ballistic missiles via their radars, and exchanged intelligence.

The joint drill followed the DPRK test-launching its Hwasong-15 on Nov. 29. Pyongyang has claimed its intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

The trilateral missile-tracking drill was the sixth of its kind, after three rounds earlier this year and two last year. Enditem