Seoul (TDI): North Korea has condemned the United States’ approval of a potential $125 million arms sale to South Korea, warning that it would respond “strongly and immediately to hostile actions”.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry criticized Washington’s decision to approve the sale of AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and related equipment to Seoul, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.
A ministry spokesperson said the decision once again demonstrated what Pyongyang considers Washington’s hostile policy towards North Korea.
The spokesperson warned that the weapons sale posed “a new threat” to North Korea’s security environment and criticized the broader expansion of US military cooperation with South Korea.
Pyongyang said Washington had also approved other weapons sales to Seoul this year, including naval and attack helicopters and precision-guided bombs.
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North Korea argued that the growing military integration between the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region was worsening regional security, Reuters reported.
The North Korean official said Pyongyang would not ignore what it described as hostile military activities and pledged a “serious, immediate and powerful response” across different areas.
North Korea also criticized a US initiative aimed at documenting its human rights situation and collecting information about the country, accusing Washington of attempting to create instability within its social system.
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The latest tensions come as US President Donald Trump has renewed efforts to engage North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump has expressed interest in another meeting with Kim and said earlier this month that the North Korean leader had responded to his outreach.
However, analysts say Pyongyang has so far shown little public willingness to resume negotiations with Washington. The latest dispute over US military assistance to South Korea could further complicate efforts to restart dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.
