N. Korea vows to step up 'war deterrence' against US arms sales

This photo shows people watching a televised broadcast of North Korea's second attempt to launch a military spy satellite at Seoul Station, Aug. 24. Newsis

North Korea said Monday that it will bolster its "war deterrence" capability as it accused the United States of heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula with planned arms sales to South Korea and Japan.

Last week, the U.S. announced the potential sales of AIM-9X air-to-air missiles, Standard Missile-6 shipborne missile interceptors and related equipment under a government-to-government foreign military sale to South Korea.

Washington also recently announced the approval of the potential sale of 400 Tomahawk missiles and related equipment to Japan.

"We warn that the more the U.S. earns from indiscriminate arms sales, the higher the price it would have to pay for a security crisis," an unnamed official of North Korea's defense ministry said in a comment carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

The criticism came as the recalcitrant regime is widely expected to make its third attempt to launch a military spy satellite in the coming days.

Earlier in the day, the South Korean military warned the North to "immediately stop" preparations for another military spy satellite launch, vowing to take "necessary measures" if it presses ahead with the launch.

On Sunday, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said the North's launch could take place before South Korea launches its first indigenous reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 30. (Yonhap)