Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) of the DPRK, released the following press statement "U.S. hegemonic attempt to militarize outer space into war theater is principal threat to global peace and security" on Saturday:

The U.S. has gone beyond the red line in its hegemonic attempt to deprive the independent sovereign states of their rights to space development and militarize outer space and turn such common wealth of humankind into a war theater.

The commander of the U.S. Space Force during his recent visits to puppet ROK and Japan said that he urges north Korea to refrain from launching space projectiles or missiles as such action constitutes a "violation of UN resolution."

We vehemently denounce and reject this, expressing serious concern over such hegemonic attempt of the U.S. as categorically denying the DPRK's just right to space development and legitimate right to self-defence and using outer space as a military means to deter other countries.

The U.S., the biggest spy satellite possessor in the world, has conducted interceptor weapon system tests for destroying foreign artificial satellites more than any others. Worse still, it finds fault with the DPRK over its legitimate right to military reconnaissance satellite launch. Irony is that it brought up for discussion a draft resolution on banning space nuclear weaponry deployment at the UNSC. This is, indeed, preposterous and impudent act based on double standards.

Shortly ago, the U.S. conducted the seventh launch of unmanned space vehicle X-37B with a mission to destroy satellites of an "enemy state" in outer space and staged Global Sentinel, a joint space drill simulating war in outer space, with its vassal countries. This clearly proves who the arch criminal of militarizing outer space is.

The most typical example of extremely dangerous U.S. space militarization is found on the Korean peninsula region.

In April alone, the U.S. offered a space vehicle to the puppet ROK to launch its second spy satellite aimed at securing the capability for a preemptive strike on the DPRK. From April 12 to 26, it conducted with the puppet ROK a joint space operation drill which is aimed at mounting "precision strikes" at military bases of the DPRK on the basis of real-time information collected by the U.S. Space Force through spy satellites.

Due to the U.S. reckless and risky space militarization, the strategic balance may collapse any moment to give rise to actual wars among regional countries in the Asia-Pacific region and such possibility is ever-increasing.

The hegemonic attempt of the U.S. to militarize outer space and turn it into a war theater is a principal threat to global peace and security at present.

Given that the U.S. is bringing its space forces massively to the Korean peninsula and its vicinity to speed up its space militarization whose ultimate goal is preemptive nuclear attack, the space development project, including military satellite launch, is a strategic choice indispensable for guaranteeing our country's security, interests and right to existence.

The National Aerospace Technology Administration of the DPRK will invariably carry on its important duty, as planned, to strictly monitor and grasp the ever-escalating military maneuvers and aggression attempts of the U.S. and other hostile forces in outer space and all other spheres and to enhance the space reconnaissance capabilities for creditably ensuring the national security. -0-

www.kcna.kp (Juche113.4.27.)