North Korea, protesting recent U.S. approval of arms exports to Korea and moves to expand U.S.-South Korea military cooperation, threatened to raise its response level not only with asymmetric power such as nuclear and missile capabilities but also in the realm of conventional weapons.
The deputy director general of the North Korean Defense Ministry's Equipment General Bureau said in a Q&A released through the Korean Central News Agency on the 7th that "it is a priority task for the Defense Ministry's armed equipment institutional sector of the republic to make every possible military-technical measure in symmetric and asymmetric fields in response to the hostile countries' arms buildup moves that go far beyond defensive limits."
He said, "We will continue to make it clear that the hostile forces' irresponsible arms transaction and arms buildup are inefficient and meaningless acts," adding, "With the accelerated renewal and evolution of our self-defensive deterrent, we will never allow attempts to create an imbalance of power in the region."
The remarks are seen as a backlash against the recent U.S. approval of exports to Korea of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits and related equipment worth $106 million.
North Korea argued that the U.S. approval to export JDAMs is part of a defense strategy to strengthen Korea's conventional capabilities and a step that signals changes in the role of U.S. Forces Korea and heightened regional military tensions.
It also noted that the United States is taking a cooperative stance on Korea's introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and has approved exports of the small-diameter precision-guided bomb GBU-39 and the MH-60R multi-mission helicopter for maritime operations.
North Korea said the United States is expanding weapons sales not only to Korea but also to allies and friendly countries such as Japan and Taiwan, labeling it a factor that undermines regional stability.
The deputy director general condemned "the United States' reckless overseas arms sales" as actions that "increase unpredictability regionally and internationally and ultimately lead to an abuse of power," calling them "a fundamental factor that creates instability and heightens military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and beyond."
Experts note that while North Korea has emphasized strengthening deterrence centered on nuclear and missile forces, this time it explicitly mentioned "symmetric power." Analysts say this reflects an intention to highlight the pretext for modernizing conventional weapons in response to the South Korean military's enhanced precision-strike capabilities and its buildup of naval and air power.