South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced the abolishment of the joint missile guidelines that had limited the country’s development of ballistic missiles to a range of 800km after his first summit with US President Joe Biden earlier this month.

North Korea’s official KCNA news agency carried an article by Kim Myong-chol, who it described as an “international affairs critic”, to accuse the US of applying a double standard as it sought to ban Pyongyang from developing ballistic missiles.

The US is “engrossed in confrontation despite its lip-service to dialogue”, Kim said. “The termination step is a stark reminder of the US hostile policy toward the DPRK and its shameful double-dealing.”

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is North Korea’s official name.

North Korea’s target is the US, not South Korea’s military, and it will counter the US on “the principle of strength for strength”, Kim said.

Kim also criticised Moon for welcoming the termination of the guidelines, calling it “disgusting, indecent”.

“Now that the US and the South Korean authorities made clear their ambition of aggression, they are left with no reasons whatsoever to fault the DPRK bolstering its capabilities for self-defence,” Kim added.