The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday slammed Japan for making military provocations by joining the United States in staging joint drills aimed at preparing to attack it, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

　　On Nov. 11-12, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) staged large-scale joint military drills in league with U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier task forces involving USS Ronald Reagan, Theodore Roosevelt and Nimitz.

　　Japan has sent its Maritime SDF's escort warships Ise, Makinami and Inazma and claimed that "the drills were effective ones which clearly showed the strong will of Japan and the United States" to counter the DPRK, the KCNA said in a commentary.

　　Japan is stepping up the deployment of the new type missile defense system Aegis Ashore in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures under the pretext of coping with ballistic missiles of the DPRK, it added.

　　"It (Japan) is about to import SM-3 and F-35As and warships equipped with an Aegis combat system from the United States, according to a report from the recent press conference jointly held by (U.S. President) Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe," said the article.

　　It accused Tokyo of "buckling down to realizing their wild ambition for launching an overseas invasion" and "having gone beyond the red line in their risky military moves."

　　"Japan seeks to secure a pretext for deploying its SDF troops on the Korean Peninsula under the excuse of 'threat' from the DPRK and thus bring into reality its old dream of 'Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere' by justifying its reinvasion of the Asia-Pacific region," the article said, referring to an imperial term created by Japan to advance its colonialist ambitions.