North Korea accuses US of escalating tensions over arms sales to South Korea

North Korea has accused the United States of heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula after Washington approved the sale of precision-guided munitions kits to South Korea.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a deputy head of the Main Directorate of Armaments at North Korea’s Ministry of Defence said the decision to supply JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) kits formed part of a US strategy to expand the offensive capabilities of its allies.

The official said the US was reinforcing what Pyongyang described as a “defence strategy” under the pretext of deterrence, while in reality strengthening Seoul’s military capacity. He added that US arms transfers to allied countries in Asia were “offensive in nature” across land, sea, air and undersea domains.

North Korea cited US approval for the delivery of 708 KMU-557 JDAM tail kits and 58 KMU-572 kits to South Korea, valued at approximately $106 million. It also referred to broader US plans to supply weapons to South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, including long-range systems and aircraft.

Pyongyang said the arms sales were a major factor contributing to regional instability and what it characterised as an escalating military threat environment on the peninsula. It warned that North Korea would respond by strengthening its own military capabilities and adopting what it called “comprehensive military-technical measures” in both symmetric and asymmetric areas.

By Aghakazim Guliyev