North Korea condemns US missile sale approval to South Korea

North Korea‘s foreign ministry condemned a U.S. decision to approve the sale of ⁠advanced air-to-air missiles ⁠and related equipment to South Korea, warning the move would worsen tensions ⁠on the Korean peninsula, state media KCNA said on Saturday.

The ministry’s director-general for external policy said in a statement carried by KCNA that military cooperation between Washington and Seoul was ⁠being “systematically ⁠strengthened” despite what it called international concern over rising tensions in and around the peninsula.

The official cited the U.S. State Department‘s approval of a nearly $300 million foreign ⁠military sale of advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to South Korea as the latest example.

“U.S. arms exports are war exports,” the official ⁠said, adding ‌that North Korea would ⁠continue strengthening its self-defensive ‌deterrent to maintain the regional balance of power.

North ⁠Korea routinely ⁠criticises U.S.-South Korea military cooperation as ⁠preparation for war.