North Korea has warned that Donald Trump's $175billion (£129million) Golden Dome missile defence plan risks starting a nuclear war in space.
The futuristic project, announced last week, aims to create a network of satellites by 2029 that will detect, track and shoot down any missiles fired at the United States.
Pyongyang attacked Trump's proposal in a lengthy memorandum, stating the scheme could turn outer space into a "potential nuclear war field".
The North Korean foreign ministry described Golden Dome as a "very dangerous initiative aimed at threatening the strategic security of the nuclear weapons states".
North Korea has warned Trump of starting a 'potential nuclear war field'
GETTY
The project has come under criticism for destabilising and being a potential trigger for an arms race between nations.
North Korea accused the United States of being "hell-bent on the moves to militarise outer space" and described the project as the latest evidence of Washington's "self-righteousness, arrogance, high-handed and arbitrary practice".
The memorandum also targeted America's X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle 7, a robotic space plane manufactured by Boeing and operated in part by the United States Space Force.
The Golden Dome project could prompt other powers to develop their own extensive space weapons systems or build more missiles to overcome the US's space shield.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Trump has not responded to the comment from North Korea, but experts say the strong reaction likely means Pyongyang sees the project as a major threat.
Senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, Hong Min, said that if the US created the program successfully, North Korea would then "be forced to develop alternative means to counter or penetrate it".
The warning came after Kim Jong-un suffered a rare moment of public embarrassment when a brand-new warship sank in front of a large crowd.
The North Korean dictator said that the accident "brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse".
Kim Jong-un suffered a rare moment of embarrassment recently
GETTYAt least four officials have since been arrested in relation to the failed warship launch event.
State media reported on Sunday that the officials had been detained over what was described as a "serious accident".
According to North Korean state news agency KCNA, the incident was "a criminal act caused by absolute carelessness" and those responsible "can never evade their responsibility for the crime".
The launch failure occurred when the vessel ended up crushed and listing in the harbour.
More From GB News
Most Read
