North Korea: US arms supplies to South Korea and Taiwan trigger regional tension
Seoul (ANTARA) - North Korea’s Ministry of Defence has accused the United States of disrupting stability on the Korean Peninsula and within the region by supplying weapons to its allies in Asia, the KCNA news agency reported on Sunday (7/6).
The statement follows US approval for the sale of 708 tail kits for KMU-557 precision air munitions and 58 KMU-572 guidance systems to South Korea, with a total value of US$106 million (approximately Rp1.9 trillion).
According to a deputy director of the General Armaments Bureau of North Korea’s Ministry of Defence, US policy is contributing to rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and across the broader region. “Reckless US arms sales increase uncertainty at both regional and international levels and will inevitably trigger the misuse of force,” the official told KCNA.
The ministry stated that the US continues to strengthen South Korea’s conventional armed forces, which now play a primary role in deterring North Korea, suggesting a shift in the role of US military forces on the peninsula. According to the ministry, the US is consistently increasing the delivery of offensive weapons to its allies in Asia.
The ministry also noted that the US has approved the sale of HIMARS dual-launch rocket systems, Javelin anti-tank missiles, howitzers, loitering munitions, and other military equipment to Taiwan. Furthermore, the US is reportedly planning to transfer long-range offensive weapons, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, to Japan.
North Korea asserted that it will continue to develop military-technical measures, both symmetric and asymmetric, in response to the arms buildup by “enemy states.” The North Korean military official stated that the country will accelerate the enhancement and development of its self-defence and deterrence capabilities to prevent any attempts that could disrupt the regional balance of power. He added that such steps are intended to demonstrate that irresponsible arms trade and military buildup by hostile powers are ineffective and futile.