N. Korea denounces U.S., Japan's munitions cooperation, vows to bolster deterrence

SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Wednesday denounced the United States and Japan's latest agreement to co-produce an advanced air-to-air missile for raising strategic instability in the Asia-Pacific region, vowing to bolster its powerful deterrence against such a threat.

The North's defense ministry issued the condemnation after the U.S. and Japan on Sunday announced the early launch of a co-production project for the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile during U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to Japan.

The vice general director of the armament bureau at the North's ministry said AIM-120 will be another "co-produced weapon" of the U.S.-Japan military alliance, noting their military ties are turning "offensive and aggressive from A to Z," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"Their cooperation in the field of munitions industry is being accelerated in direct proportion to it. It is not a secret that such moves are aimed at militarily deterring the regional countries," the official said in a statement carried by the KCNA.

The official also warned North Korea will actively respond to the unstable security environment created by its enemies by bolstering its "powerful deterrence" to ensure enemy countries give up their military ambitions.

North Korea has recently shown a sensitive reaction to Japan's moves to enhance its military capabilities. Pyongyang denounced Japan's launch of a new military command aimed at better integrating its self-defense force units last week. It also slammed Japan for considering deploying long-range missiles on its southwestern island of Kyushu.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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