North Korea warned on Wednesday that it would consider taking “additional military options” in response to what it described as Japan’s ambitions to return to being a “war criminal state,” criticizing the United States for allowing Tokyo to continue its rearmament. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, made the remarks in a statement issued by state media, pointing to recent Japanese moves, such as test-firing long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles and participating in US-led military exercises in the Philippines, as evidence of Tokyo's broader pursuit of military expansion. Kim said in the statement published by the North Korean Central News Agency: “Japan, a war criminal state, is accelerating its transformation into a warlike state, taking advantage of the sharp and volatile trend of the current international situation in which global geopolitical conflicts and confrontations between the camps are witnessing an increasing intensification.” She added: “These military actions prove that Japan’s moves aimed at creating the ability to launch a pre-emptive attack... are entering the stage of actual implementation.” Kim accused the United States of offering its support to Japan's efforts and infringing on other countries' security interests by using Japan and South Korea as a "shock squad" in the Asia-Pacific region. She said: “We will never remain passive spectators to Japan’s military development, which may pose a serious threat to North Korea’s security.” She added: “I confirm, in accordance with the mandate granted to me, that the North Korean armed forces and military leadership will develop additional military options, which is clearly due to the transformations that Japan has witnessed recently.”