Seoul: North Korea on Tuesday denounced Japan's latest defense white paper, describing it as an attempt to justify the country's military build-up and calling it a legal basis for "the operation of war machine." Kang Won-chol, an international security analyst, made these claims in an article published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, the country's most widely read newspaper.

According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea also expressed condolences over the death of Xaysomphone Phomvihane, the former president of Laos' National Assembly. The condolence message was sent by the standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Sunday.

In another development, North Korea criticized South Korea's plans to develop a nuclear-powered submarine, labeling it a step toward "nuclear armament." Jang Kum-chol, first vice minister of North Korea's foreign ministry, stated that Seoul's efforts aimed to "free itself from the constraints of restrictions on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment and secure the right to produce nuclear material."

North Korea also refrained from reporting a missile launch conducted the previous day, marking the second consecutive instance of such silence. This departure from their usual practice of announcing missile launches was noted as of 7 a.m. on Thursday.

In response to the joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, North Korea warned of a "new level of deterrent." The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise is set to commence on Monday and continue until August 27.

Finally, North Korea criticized the United States' new nuclear strategy, which allegedly lowers the threshold for nuclear use. The criticism came amid reports of the Pentagon drafting a new strategy focused on short-range tactical nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with China or Russia. North Korea vowed to enhance its "nuclear deterrent for self-defense" in light of these developments.