Sept. 23, 2004
North Korea threatened on Thursday that "If the United States ignites a nuclear war in this part of the world, then U.S. bases in Japan would serve as a detonating fuse that would plunge Japan into a nuclear sea of fire." North Korea's main daily Rodong Sinmun added in an article, "If it wants to maintain peace and live safely, Japan should not become an appendage of the war strategy of American imperialism."
"The danger of a nuclear war in Northeast Asia continues to escalate as a result of the United States' scheme to realign its military presence in the Asian Pacific region," the article asserted. "U.S. troops and bases in Japan are a cause of calamity, inviting war to Japan."
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200409/200409230045.html