North Korea has sharply criticized the United States’ proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system, warning it could transform outer space into a “potential nuclear war field,” according to a statement from Pyongyang’s foreign ministry reported by state media on Tuesday.
The ambitious $175 billion (£147 billion) project, announced by US President Donald Trump, aims to establish a satellite network by 2029 to detect, track, and intercept missiles targeting the US.
The plan, which includes an initial $25 billion (£18.7 billion) budget allocation, is designed to counter advanced aerial threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
Pyongyang condemned the initiative as “the height of self-righteousness [and] arrogance,” accusing the US of being “hell-bent... to militarise outer space.”
The foreign ministry’s memorandum described the Golden Dome as a “very dangerous initiative aimed at threatening the strategic security of nuclear weapons states,” warning it could trigger “a global nuclear and space arms race.”
The statement also criticized the US’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle 7, a robotic space plane, comparing its threat to that of nuclear weapons and citing it as further evidence of Washington’s intent to militarize space.
North Korea’s concerns echo those of China, which last week expressed being “seriously concerned” about the project’s “strong offensive implications” and its potential to undermine “global strategic balance and stability.”
Analysts suggest North Korea views the Golden Dome as a direct threat to its nuclear capabilities.
“If the US completes its new missile defence programme, the North will be forced to develop alternative means to counter or penetrate it,” said Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
The criticism follows North Korea’s recent military posturing, including a 2022 law declaring itself a nuclear weapons state and tests of advanced missiles, such as an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a hypersonic warhead.
The rebuke also comes after a public setback for Kim Jong-un, who described a recent warship sinking as an incident that “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse.”
While some analysts argue the US needs to modernize its missile defenses, others warn the Golden Dome’s high costs and technical challenges could destabilize global security, potentially prompting other nations to develop counter-systems or expand their missile arsenals.