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| This file photo shows U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Japan Ministry of Defense and U.S. Navy sailors aboard USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) conducting the first Standard Missile-3 Block IIA intercept test on Feb. 3, 2017, off the west coast of Hawaii. Yonhap (Korea Times file) |
North Korea's state media on Saturday criticized Japan for conducting a test of a new missile interceptor system, which is being co-funded by the United States and Japan, arguing that the move could chill the "peace atmosphere" on the Korean Peninsula.
The U.S. and Japan have jointly developed the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor, and they successfully conducted a test of the new interceptor in Hawaii earlier this month.
In an English-language commentary, the North's Korean Central News Agency said, "Japan's incitement of the bellicose atmosphere is a serious act of harassing peace to chill the peace atmosphere on the Korean peninsula and the region and strain the situation."
"It is the revelation of the crafty trick of the Japanese reactionaries to further ratchet up the tension on the Korean peninsula and meet their own interests," the commentary said.
The commentary also criticized Japan for moving to refit its helicopter carriers into aircraft carriers, but there was no mention of the U.S. in the commentary.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to work to end the North's nuclear weapons program at a landmark summit in June, but there has been little progress on the details of how to meet that goal. Kim and Trump are seeking to hold another meeting early next year. (Yonhap)
