Pyongyang, November 29 (KCNA) -- The Japan "Self-Defense Forces" held an integrated military drill across Japan from Nov. 14 to 18.

Japan claimed the drill is of "defensive" nature but it is nothing but a smokescreen to deceive public opinion at home and abroad and cover up its criminal nature, says Minju Joson Tuesday in a bylined commentary. It goes on:

Japan is a military ally of the U.S. and receives military security guarantee including a "nuclear umbrella" from it. In fact, Japan is not exposed to any military threat now in view of the political situation in Northeast Asia.

But, it staged the military drill under the pretence of "bolstering defense posture". This is aimed at acquiring capabilities for holding military supremacy in Asia as early as possible.

The Japanese reactionaries have long dreamed of becoming the leader of Asia by turning the island into a military power. They are persisting in the moves to convert it into a military giant, while openly saying that its failed ambition of the "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" was attributable to its weakness.

The Japan SDF has now become powerful enough to overpower world first-class army.

The military indexes of Japan have already gone far beyond the limit of defence. It is illogic for Japan to assert that the excessively expanded SDF would be exclusively used for defence purpose only.

Japan has already defined the military operations overseas as one of the basic duties of SDF.

What remains to be done by Japan is to steadily increase the SDF's operation and combat capabilities and on its basis intensify the military operations overseas.

Japan is still obsessed with retrieving its past defeat and covets the leadership of Asia. Japan's military advance overseas will, therefore, endanger world peace and security.