North Korea sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s plan for a Golden Dome missile-defense system, a shield intended to counter threats from rivals including Pyongyang.
The program “is an outer space nuclear war scenario supporting the US strategy for uni-polar domination,” the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday, citing a memo from an institute under the Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang.
The memorandum described the US program as “the height of self-righteousness, arrogance, high-handed and arbitrary practice,” adding that Washington “has been hell-bent on the moves to militarize outer space, claiming that those who dominate outer space can win victory in the future war.”
Trump vowed last week that the Golden Dome shield should be operational by the end of his term, saying it would be able to protect the US from threats including ballistic missiles, hypersonics and advanced cruise missiles. Much of the tech around the system remains unproven, especially plans for space-based interceptors to knock down incoming ballistic missiles.
Over the past several years North Korea has been trying to add a multiple warhead intercontinental ballistic missile to its arsenal, a move that would increase the chance of at least one nuclear weapon making it past interceptors and reaching its target.
Last year, North Korea claimed it successfully conducted a test of a multiple warhead missile system. South Korea’s military accused North Korea of using “deception and exaggeration” to cover up a missile that exploded in the early stages of flight.
North Korea joins China in criticizing the Golden Dome plan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said earlier it “violates the principle of peaceful use of outer space,” adding that it would start an arms race.
Beijing has been Pyongyang’s biggest benefactor for decades, supplying aid that has propped up an economy badly hobbled by international sanctions over North Korea’s nuclear program.
Last month, Trump said he plans to reach out to North Korea “at some point” and reiterated that he has a “very good relationship” with leader Kim Jong Un.
During his first term, Trump announced the suspension or scaling down of some major US-South Korea military drills after starting face-to-face talks with Kim. While those discussions ultimately collapsed, Trump has indicated a willingness to reach out for renewed talks during his second term.
With assistance from Shinhye Kang.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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