HONG KONG, CHINA (CP) – North Korea sharply criticized President Trump’s multibillion-dollar “Golden Dome” missile defense system, calling the space-based shield a “dangerous” and “threatening” weapon that demonstrates USA arrogance and could be used for offensive military operations against other nations.
North Korea’s Foreign Ministry denounced Trump’s defense plans as “a typical product of ‘America first,’ the height of self-righteousness, arrogance, high-handed and arbitrary practice,” according to state-run Korean Central News Agency. Pyongyang officials argued the system represents an “outer space nuclear war scenario” supporting USA strategy for global domination rather than a legitimate defensive measure against security threats. The criticism came in a memorandum released Monday by the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for American Studies.
Trump announced last week that his administration would proceed with the $175 billion “Golden Dome” system, which uses satellite constellations and space-based weapons to intercept missile attacks on the USA from anywhere in the world. The president compared the system to Israel’s Iron Dome but emphasized its advanced space-based capabilities, promising it would be operational within three years before his second term ends. House Republicans included funding for the project in their budget bill, though the Senate has yet to approve the legislation.
The North Korean response highlights growing tensions over USA military expansion in space and regional missile defense cooperation with Japan and South Korea. Pyongyang has criticized joint initiatives including Space Force units deployed in allied nations and real-time data sharing systems for tracking North Korean missile launches. Leader Kim Jong Un has accelerated weapons development, including single missiles capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads designed to overwhelm USA and allied defense systems.
Congressional Budget Office estimates suggest the Golden Dome’s space-based interceptors could cost between $161 billion and $542 billion over two decades, significantly higher than Trump’s $175 billion projection. North Korea also criticized the project as a means of generating profits for USA defense contractors, reflecting broader concerns about the militarization of space. The political tensions underscore challenges facing Trump’s national security strategy as nuclear powers view advanced USA missile defense capabilities as potential threats to strategic stability and regional balance of power in 2025.