North Korea calls US 'Golden Dome' missile shield 'dangerous and threatening'

North Korea called US President Donald Trump's plan to establish a "Golden Dome" missile defense system a "very dangerous and "threatening initiative," state-run media reported Tuesday.

The country's Foreign Ministry issued a memorandum criticizing Washington and said the plan is aimed at threatening the strategic security of nuclear weapons states regarded by the US with hostility and facilitating the use of the offensive military muscle of US forces, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"The U.S., which defined outer space as a battlefield in future in its early years, has been hell-bent on the moves to militarize outer space, claiming that those who dominate outer space can win victory in the future war," said the ministry.

"The U.S. plan for building a new missile defense system is the root cause of sparking off a global nuclear and space arms race by stimulating the security concerns of nuclear weapons states and turning outer space into a potential nuclear war field," it added.

"It is to preemptively attain military superiority in an all-round way by justifying its hegemony-oriented moves for a space arms buildup and accelerating outer space militarization behind the screen of 'mainland defense' and to launch the military strike at its enemy states at its will by relying on it," it said, adding "this is the military strategic goal pursued by the U.S. and the main goal of the 'Golden Dome' project being prioritized by the present U.S. administration."

Last week, Trump said he has selected the "architecture" for his long-promised "Golden Dome" missile defense program, which he estimated will cost $175 billion during the next three years to create.

The exact details of the program remain sparse, but he said it will "deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors."