North Korea condemns US arms sale to South Korea, vows response

North Korea condemned a U.S. decision to approve the sale of missiles and related equipment to South Korea on Thursday, August 27, 2026, vowing a "serious, immediate and powerful response" to what it described as hostile acts. The denunciation, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, also criticized a U.S. plan to fund programs documenting human rights conditions in North Korea, with Pyongyang warning the measures could destabilize the region and its own social system.

The criticism followed a U.S. State Department announcement approving the potential sale of AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II air-to-air tactical missiles and associated equipment to South Korea in a deal estimated at $125 million. According to the sources, South Korea had requested the purchase of 103 missiles and 10 guidance units, among other defense items. A spokesperson for North Korea's Foreign Ministry stated that Pyongyang "cannot overlook the adverse effect of the U.S. sale of its weapons to the ROK on the regional security environment," using the official abbreviation for the Republic of Korea. The spokesperson argued that the arms sale posed "a new threat" to the security of the Democratic...