North Korea says its missile tests are ‘righteous reaction’ to US military drills

North Korea also slams redeployment of the USS Ronald Reagan as a ‘sort of military bluffing’

North Korea has justified its consistent missile tests as something for the nation’s “self-defence measure” and a “righteous reaction” against “direct US military threats”.

The missile tests “did not pose any threat or harm to the safety of civil aviation as well as the safety of neighbouring countries and regions, by a full consideration of civil aviation safety in advance,” an aviation administration spokesperson was quoted by state media KCNA as saying on Saturday.

“Our missile tests are a normal, planned self-defence measure to protect our country’s security and regional peace from direct US military threats,” the official added.

The country’s state media, in a separate statement, also warned about the redeployment of the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier in joint military drills with South Korea, something the North termed “extremely provocative and threatening”.

Pyongyang said the vessel’s return was a “sort of military bluffing” intended to issue a warning over the North’s “righteous reaction” in the form of missile tests.

State media said the North Korean defence ministry was “taking a stern look” at the “worrisome” current situation, after the joint drills involving the vessel.

It also warned that the US redeployment of the aircraft near the Korean peninsula was causing a “considerably huge negative splash” in regional security.

The nuclear-powered aircraft and its battle group returned to the area after North Korea fired a powerful missile over Japan to protest against the carrier group’s previous training with South Korea.

The country has carried out six missile launches in the last 12 days, including firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan, raising security concerns among its neighbours.

On Thursday, the North fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern waters, one of which landed between the Korean peninsula and Japan.

The fresh assertion to the right to self defence comes in response to the International Civil Aviation Organization Council (ICAO) condemning the North's missile launches for posing a serious safety risk to international civil aviation and after South Korea scrambled 30 military planes in response to 12 warplanes the North flew near the border with its neighbour.

The Korean spokesperson said the North “categorically condemns and rejects” the ICAO resolution against the missile launches as a “political provocation of the US and its vassal forces aimed to infringe upon the sovereignty” of the east Asian country.

The North accused the US of politicising the ICAO to prevent the country from exercising its right to self-defence by suspending air navigation services.