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North Korea ruler Kim Jong Un
Photo: KCNA / KNS / AP
North Korea's state media have criticized the recent repeal of an agreement between the US and South Korea that has so far capped the development of South Korea's ballistic missiles.
The decision gives the government in Seoul greater freedom of choice when it comes to the range of missiles, for example.
The United States would stand by two standards when it came to banning the Pyongyang government from developing ballistic missiles, Kim Myong Chol said in an article published on Sunday by the official North Korean news agency KCNA referred to as a "critic of international affairs".
The US, despite its lip service to dialogue, is more keen on confrontation, wrote Kim.
"The move to end is a clear reminder of the hostile US policies towards the DPRK and its shameful double standards." The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is the official name of North Korea.
That South Korean President Moon Jae-in welcomed the termination of the guidelines was "disgusting and indecent," Kim said.
"Now that the US and the South Korean authorities have made their intentions to aggression clear, they no longer have any reason to charge the DPRK with strengthening their self-defense capabilities."
Relations with North Korea remain frosty
US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a bilateral meeting in Washington in mid-May about rapprochement with North Korea.
The complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is their goal, both heads of state declared after the meeting.
They want to continue a dialogue with North Korea about its nuclear weapons program.
The US has thousands of soldiers stationed in South Korea.
With the US diplomat Sung Kim, Biden appointed a special envoy for North Korea at the end of May.
So far, Biden has had less success with his course towards Pyongyang.
North Korea has rejected US diplomacy requests since Biden took over from Donald Trump.
Ruler Kim Jong Un continues to refuse to give up his nuclear weapons, but imposed a test ban.
jok / Reuters