DPRK says to continue firing tactical missiles

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea said Thursday that it would continue firing tactical missiles no matter what criticism the United States made, the country's official KCNA news agency reported.

It was an aboveboard right of self-defense which concerns the independence and dignity of the Korean people, not to give up all kinds of ultra-precision fire strike means, especially when the United States and its followers are going extreme in planning wars of aggression, the KCNA quoted the Strategic Force spokesperson of the Korean People's Army as saying.

The United States has slammed the DPRK's firing of tactical missiles as if they were long-range rockets that would hit the US territory and regarded it as a threat that increased regional tensions, said the spokesperson, whose name was not given by the agency.

"It is the United States that deployed B-52 bombers and large nuclear-powered aircraft carriers around its territory, Guam and the Pacific region, and that instigated South Korea into developing missiles ranging more than 800 km," the KCNA said.

It also accused the United States of attempting to impede the DPRK's strengthening of self-defense ability, using every means possible to isolate the DPRK and seeking opportunity to overthrow its system.

The KCNA reported Monday that Kim had overseen a tactical rocket firing drill of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army. Last week, he also oversaw the test-firing of "newly developed cutting-edge ultra-precision tactical guided missiles."

On Wednesday, the DPRK fired two short-range projectiles into its east waters, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said. But the DPRK side so far has not reported about it.