PYONGYANG, July 31. /TASS/. The headquarters of the US forces in Japan is turning into a "war command," which will be assigned a key role in a possible armed conflict in the Asia-Pacific region, the Central Telegraphic Agency of Korea (KCNA) said.

The publication came in the wake of the US forces commander’s comment that since last year the number of command personnel in Japan had been increased by more than 200 troops to strengthen its functions. He said this ensured a round-the-clock performance of combat missions and increase the ability to respond promptly to a crisis in the region.

According to KCNA, Washington is turning the command of troops in Japan from a structure that performed primarily administrative functions into a unified command with authority to manage military operations as the US plans to integrate the command and control system with the Joint Operational Command of the Japan Self-Defense Forces established last year.

According to the agency, the purpose of the reform is to ensure joint actions of the US and Japan’s armies in the event of war and to expand the capabilities of US troops to conduct independent operations in the region. KCNA claims that in the event of an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula, it will be the US troops in Japan who will be among the first to be involved.

The publication also says that the United States, Japan and South Korea continue to strengthen military cooperation, including through joint exercises, which indicates Washington's continued course towards confrontation with North Korea and requires Pyongyang to further strengthen its nuclear deterrence capabilities.

The agency draws a historical parallel with the command of the US army during the Korean War. KCNA says that the transformation of the current command of US troops in Japan into a "war command" will be, as in the past, "a direct path to a shameful defeat.".