North Korea condemns US missile sale approval to South Korea, KCNA says
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- North Korea's foreign ministry condemned the U.S. State Department's approval of a nearly $300 million foreign military sale of advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to South Korea, according to state media KCNA on Saturday.
- The ministry's director-general for external policy said U.S.-South Korea military cooperation was being "systematically strengthened" despite what it called international concern over rising tensions in and around the peninsula.
- The official declared that "U.S. arms exports are war exports," per KCNA's report of the statement.
- North Korea said it would continue strengthening its "self-defensive deterrent" to maintain the regional balance of power, the statement carried by KCNA read.
- Reuters notes that North Korea routinely criticizes U.S.-South Korea military cooperation as preparation for war.
Why it matters: Pyongyang's response — labeling the $300 million deal "war exports" and pledging to strengthen its own deterrent — keeps the tit-for-tat arms cycle spinning on the peninsula, with North Korea explicitly framing Seoul's new air-to-air missile capabilities as justification for its own buildup.
