North Korea's official media yesterday attacked a US-Japanese agreement to research an anti-ballistic missile system, saying it would undermine stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
"Such grave developments disturbing peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region are arousing deep apprehension and high vigilance from among the regional people," said the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Japan and the US reached formal agreement on Monday to research an anti-ballistic missile system. Pentagon and Japanese Defence Agency officials signed a memorandum of understanding on research for a sea-based system which uses satellites to pinpoint incoming missiles and then shoots them down.
Tokyo insists the planned antimissile system, known as Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) in the US, is not targeted at any specific nation. North Korea launched a medium-range Taepodong I missile which flew over Japan on August 31st last year without any prior warning, alarming Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
There are fears it is preparing to test-fire another missile, possibly an upgraded Taepodong II, although KCNA quoted an official as saying North Korea may be ready to negotiate on foreign concerns.
The latest report by KCNA said Japan's protestations about the defensive nature of the anti-missile programme were "nothing but a crafty smokescreen to cover up its offensive nature".
"As known to everyone, the `TMD' system is a system of reinvasion to make a pre-emptive attack and contain the DPRK [North Korea] and a war system to prevail over big powers in the Asia-Pacific region," KCNA said.
The report said Tokyo had signed the anti-missile research deal with Washington as a warning to China, which had tested a long-range missile, and "more importantly sought to check the DPRK's relaunch of missile'."
But the "reckless military threat" could not work in North Korea, which insists the "launch of satellite or missile is a matter pertaining to our sovereignty", the KCNA report said.
"We will exercise this sovereignty unhesitatingly at our own will, if necessary. The Japanese reactionaries should properly interpret this unshakeable will of ours and stop running amok."
Japan's surrender at the end of the second World War also marked an end to its harsh colonial rule of the Korean peninsula which extended from 1910 to 1945.
"Japan committed monstrous massacre, arson and destruction in the past, obliterating human civilisation, disturbing peace in Asia and perpetrating indelible crimes against its people," KCNA said.