ANKARA

North Korea on Monday denounced Japan over a reported plan to deploy upgraded surface-to-ship missiles in the western coastal Kumamoto prefecture near China, state media reported on Monday, terming it a "very dangerous move."

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), in a commentary, criticized Tokyo, which according to a report published by Kyodo news last week, is finalizing a plan to deploy locally produced Type-12 anti-ship missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto during the current fiscal year.

The Type-12 missile has a range of 1,000 kilometers and is capable of reaching China's coastline.

The move is aimed at strengthening the defense of Japan's southwestern Nansei island chain, which is strategically important due to its proximity to Taiwan, amid growing concerns over a potential Chinese invasion of the self-ruled democratic island, Kyodo news reported, citing unnamed government sources.

Pyongyang claimed the deployment is intended to secure Japan's preemptive strike capabilities, aimed at realizing its ambition for the imperial-era "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," rather than deterring any specific threat.

"Through military buildup and reorganization, as well as schemes for force modernization, Japan is approaching a situation where it can put an invasion war into action," the KCNA said.

Describing Japan as "prepossessed with becoming a military power," Pyongyang accused Tokyo of racing toward a day of reinvasion by deploying long-range missiles intended for preemptive strikes.

"The day of reinvasion that Japan is now so desperately seeking will be the day it steps into an irrecoverable hell," the KCNA said.

*Writing by Aamir Latif