The Korean Central News Agency released a commentary on May 21 concerning the impact of the reckless arms buildup by the US and the Republic of Korea on the security of the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asian region.
Korean Central News Agency Commentary
Reckless Arms Buildup of US and Republic of Korea Will Redouble Our Military Deterrence Strengthening Efforts to Overwhelm It
The US arms sales maneuvers toward the Korean Peninsula and its vassal states in the Northeast Asian region are getting into full swing and emerging as a regional security challenge that cannot be overlooked.
Recently, the US Department of Defense approved the sale of more than 4 billion US dollars' worth of 24 new-type maritime operation helicopters “MH-60R” and parts for attack helicopters “AH-64E Apache” to the Republic of Korea, embellishing it by saying that this sale will contribute to enhancing the Republic of Korea's capability to respond to current and future threats and to possess a reliable military force that can deter the enemy.
This shows a glimpse of the US weapons export and the Republic of Korea's greedy armament buildup being pushed ahead in accordance with the agreement of the US-Republic of Korea summit held last October which stipulated that the Republic of Korea would purchase US military equipment worth 250 billion US dollars by 2030.
The essence of the US arms sales maneuver lies in maximizing its monetary profits in tandem with the increase in the Republic of Korea's military expenditure, while at the same time raising its military applicability so that the Republic of Korea can be usefully exploited as a shock brigade for realizing its strategic hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region.
A unilateral arms buildup that goes beyond the defensive limit will only trigger the other side's responsive military reinforcement measures to overwhelm it.
In this regard, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in an answer to a question put by a KCNA reporter, clarified the stance that the US massive arms supply maneuvers toward its allies and partners in the Asian region including the Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan is a source of military tension in the Asia-Pacific region including the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait, and this foretells an unstable prospect of the regional situation.
The spokesperson stressed that the seriousness of the arms buildup and arms deals of the US and its vassal allies lies in that they are being conducted far beyond the normal defensive needs and in a form specialized for military attack against specific countries, and that they are thoroughly subordinated to the realization of the US military hegemonic strategy.
Today, the Republic of Korea's unnatural armament buildup ambition is a typical product of the new military strategy execution of the current US administration that seeks to ensure the flexibility of its military strike posture against rival countries in the entire Asia-Pacific theater.
The US, which coerced NATO last year to raise the military expenditure of its European allies to 5% of GDP, has continuously been pressing the Asian allies to follow their example by increasing military spending.
Accordingly, the Republic of Korea agreed with the US to increase its military spending to 3.5% of GDP within a possible early date, and the US conferred the title of “model ally” on the Republic of Korea which decided to purchase 250 billion US dollars' worth of US-made weapons and pay 33 billion US dollars as the upkeep for the US forces in the Republic of Korea by 2030.
The US, after approving the sale of 624 long-range guided bombs “GBU-39” to the Republic of Korea last December, arranged the conclusion of a contract between the Republic of Korea and Boeing Company to enhance the combat practicality of the Republic of Korea's air force “F-15K” in February this year, and in March approved the sale of 200 million US dollars' worth of airborne communication security equipment to the Republic of Korea.
Meanwhile, the US approved the sale of 11.1 billion US dollars' worth of weapons including eight kinds of field combat equipment such as the rapid mobile rocket system “HIMARS”, “Javelin” anti-tank missiles, howitzers and suicide drones, and accessories to Taiwan last December, and is systematically handing over offensive weapons including “Tomahawk” cruise missiles to Japan.
The security crises that are occurring one after another worldwide prove that the provision of advanced lethal weapons by the US, the world's biggest war merchant, is a continuous factor that aggravates military conflicts and contradictions in the region and increases unpredictability and instability.
It is obvious that the other side can never be indifferent to the arms buildup maneuver pursued by one belligerent party and will be compelled to take symmetric measures.
Thoroughly rejecting the imbalance of power imposed by the US and its followers and resolutely coping with it is a precondition for defending the sovereign interests of a country and ensuring regional peace and stability.
The defence capability of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, by dint of its ceaseless renewal and evolution and by maintaining a thoroughgoing readiness for an imminent war, will firmly control all sorts of security threats from the enemy countries, reliably safeguard the sovereign security of the state and regional peace, and actively contribute to ensuring global strategic stability. (End)
