North Korea has voiced strong opposition to a recent agreement between Japan and the United States to co-produce air-to-air missiles, according to state media reports on Wednesday. The unnamed vice general director of North Korea's defense ministry called the deal a threat to regional security.

The criticism focuses on the AIM-120 air-to-air missile system that the US and Japan agreed to accelerate co-producing during US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to Tokyo on Sunday. North Korean officials claim this adds a "new element of strategic instability to the Asia-Pacific region."

North Korea's defense ministry stated that the US-Japan cooperation in munitions production clearly has military and aggressive intentions aimed at countries in the region. They linked this to the ongoing upgrade of US military command in Japan.

The statement accused the United States of supporting Japan's military expansion, saying "the US has connived at and encouraged Japan's moves for a military giant since last century." This reflects North Korea's longstanding concerns about Japan's military development.

During his Tokyo visit, Hegseth and his Japanese counterpart agreed to:

• Accelerate joint production of beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles
• Consider co-producing other surface-to-air missiles

Hegseth specifically pointed to Japan's role in deterring China, including Beijing's actions regarding Taiwan, calling Japan a "cornerstone" of regional security. This positive recognition of Japan contrasted with Hegseth's criticism of European allies and President Trump's complaints about Tokyo's support for US military presence.

The North Korean defense official concluded that building up military deterrence is a priority for North Korea to counter growing regional instability. No specific actions were detailed in the statement.

The missile agreement comes amid broader diplomatic efforts in the region. Just last week, foreign ministers from Japan, China, and South Korea met in Tokyo to strengthen cooperation on shared challenges like aging populations and green economy initiatives. North Korea's nuclear program was a central topic, with Japan calling for complete denuclearization under UN Security Council resolutions.