North Korea Condemns U.S.-South Korea Arms Deal, Vows to Strengthen "Self-Defensive Deterrence"

North Korea has condemned the U.S. administration's approval of arms sales to South Korea, including medium-range air-to-air missiles, labeling it a "provocative military buildup," and warned that it will continuously strengthen its self-defensive deterrence.

The director of the Foreign Policy Office of the North Korean Foreign Ministry, in a statement released in response to a query from a reporter for the Korean Central News Agency, protested, "The military collusion between the U.S. and South Korea, aimed at driving the tension on the Korean Peninsula and in its surrounding regions to the extreme, is being systematically strengthened."

Previously, the U.S. Department of State approved the sale of air-to-air missiles worth 440 billion won, as requested by the South Korean government, on June 10 (local time).

The official further claimed that the U.S. is providing large quantities of weapons to Japan and Taiwan, stating, "The U.S.-led arms buildup, which takes on a collective character, is provoking due vigilance and alertness from countries in the region and provides sufficient reason for upgrading defensive measures in response."

(Photo: Provided by the Air Force, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.