North Korea has threatened to start a nuclear war in space, after joining Russia and China in slamming US president Donald Trump’s futuristic vision of a ‘Golden Dome’ missile defence system, claiming it risks turning ‘outer space into a potential nuclear war field.’
The $175billion (£129billion) project, proposed by Trump and inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome system, is aimed at blocking threats from rogue nations like China and Russia.
But Pyongyang’s foreign ministry said Trump’s plan was the ‘the height of self-righteousness [and] arrogance.’
It accused the US of being ‘hell-bent… to militarise outer space’ and starkly warned that the programme could spark a ‘a global nuclear and space arms race.’
Earlier today, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that Trump’s project undermines the foundations of strategic stability as it involves the creation of a global missile defence system.
And last week, Beijing said it was ‘seriously concerned’ about the Golden Dome, which it said has ‘strong offensive implications’.
China’s foreign ministry said: ‘The United States, in pursuing a “US-first” policy, is obsessed with seeking absolute security for itself.
‘This violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised and undermines global strategic balance and stability.’
Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP that Kim Jong Un likely sees Trump’s Golden Dome as a threat that can “significantly weaken” its nuclear arsenal.
‘If the US completes its new missile defence programme, the North will be forced to develop alternative means to counter or penetrate it,’ he said.
In April, Kim Jong Un unveiled a nuclear-capable naval destroyer that he says will bolster North Korea’s ability to defend itself in the face of perceived aggression from the US and its regional allies.
The North Korean leader attended the warship’s launch ceremony at the western port of Nampo with his teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae, according to state-run media.
Ju Ae has been widely regarded by analysts as the likely successor to Kim since she was referred to as a ‘great person of guidance’ in an official report last year.
Kim said the 5,000-ton vessel would bolster efforts to expand the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military.
The ‘multi-purpose’ destroyer, designed to handle a variety of arms including nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, was touted as the first in a new class of heavily armed warships.
Kim, who has framed the arms buildup as a response to the supposed danger posed by the US and its allies in Asia, said the destroyer would be handed over to the navy early next year before beginning active duty.
Jo Chun Ryong, a secretary in the ruling Workers’ party, claimed the ship was equipped with the ‘most powerful weapons’ and was built ‘within 400-odd days’.
Kim also took aim at efforts by the US and South Korea to expand joint military exercises and update their nuclear deterrence strategies, which he portrayed as preparations for war.
He vowed to ‘respond decisively to this geopolitical crisis and ongoing developments,’ the Korean Central News Agency reported.