‘Will pay for indiscriminate arms sales to Japan, South Korea,’ North Korea warns US

North Korea on Monday warned the United States’ about plans to sell missiles to Japan and South Korea, calling it a dangerous move that raises tension in the region and may be likely to lead to a new arms race, state media reported. North Korea’s defence ministry has said Pyongyang will step up measures to establish deterrence and respond to any instability in the region, which it has mainly blamed on the US and its allies, according to a statement carried by KCNA news agency. As part of its biggest military build-up since World War Two, Japan plans to buy 400 Tomahawk missiles from the US. The Pentagon, on its part, said on Friday the US State Department has approved the potential sale in a deal valued at US$2.35 billion. The US has also recently announced the approval of a possible sale of Sidewinder missiles and Standard Missile 6 Block Is to South Korea. “We warn that the more the United States profits from indiscriminate arms sales, the more it would have to pay for the security crisis,” North Korea’s statement said. The statement comes as North Korea is preparing to launch a spy satellite. South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said on Sunday the launch could take place as early as this week. “We sternly warn North Korea to squarely face the reality of the international community seriously condemning its illicit activities in one voice, and immediately suspend the plan to launch a military spy satellite now under preparation,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The South Korean military said the satellite launch would be a provocation and a violation of UN Security Council resolutions that ban the North’s use of ballistic missile technology. Pyongyang has said it would demonstrate “more offensive and overwhelming counteraction capabilities,” citing what it called “military threats” from the US and its allies. North Korea on its part recently revealed that it had successfully conducted static tests of “new-type high-thrust solid-fuel engines” for intermediate-range ballistic missiles, raising speculation over another missile test.