North Korea has slammed U.S. President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile shield plan as a "very dangerous" threat that aims to weaponize space, state media reported Tuesday.
Pyongyang's foreign ministry has issued a memorandum calling the system "a very dangerous threatening initiative aimed at threatening the strategic security of the nuclear weapons states," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
Trump announced new details and initial funding for the missile shield system last week, calling it "very important for the success and even survival of our country".
The initiative faces significant technical and political challenges, according to analysts, and could come at a hefty price tag.
The memorandum by nuclear-armed North Korea accused the United States of being "hell-bent on the moves to militarize outer space," KCNA said.
"The U.S. plan for building a new missile defense system is the root cause of sparking off global nuclear and space arms race by stimulating the security concerns of nuclear weapons states and turning the outer space into a potential nuclear war field," it added.
Washington -- Seoul's key security ally -- has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic U.S. assets, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine, in the region to deter the North.
Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint U.S.-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion.
China has similarly expressed strong concerns about Washington's Golden Dome plan, accusing the United States of undermining global stability.
Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernising its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision strike missiles, according to a 2022 Pentagon review.
The Kremlin has said Trump's initiative would require consultations with Russia but was otherwise a "sovereign matter" for the United States, softening its tone after also previously slamming the idea as destabilizing.
The plan's Golden Dome name stems from Israel's Iron Dome air defense system which has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011.
The United States faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.
© 2025 AFP
43 Comments
TokyoLiving
It will be an useless garbage like Israel's Iron dome..
JboneInTheZone
The iron dome is actually very successful. According to Brittanica during the 2014 Gaza war, over 90% of the identified threats were intercepted.
Peter Neil
It's payback to Musk for the 9-figure campaign contribution, who will be a contractor.
Technically impossible, but good for business.
TaiwanIsNotChina
No need to worry, Kim. It's also very stupid.
TaiwanIsNotChina
So we are going to spend trillions on a system that won't work, we we could have missiles that pretty much always work. Makes a lot of sense.
TaiwanIsNotChina
*when we
browny1
Sadly it looks like warfare will not be going away anytime soon.
However any future global military attack escalation will only be partially represented by missiles of any sort.
Systems including the likes of Energy weapons ie Laser, Shockwave, MAVs - micro air vehicles ie bugs, Cyber / Hacking infiltration, independent AI weapons, Bio-weapons and other dastardly technologies.
A Golden Dome will not prevent attacks from such technologies.
Cyber weapons potentially crippling an area / country's critical infrastructure with not a shot fired, no doubt will be the biggie.
Unfortunately so.
Laguna
Wouldn't it be cool if all nations zeroed out military expenditures and used the funds for beneficial purposes?
bass4funk
Sorry, what’s the kill ration between the IDF and Hamas again?
itsonlyrocknroll
Interesting.....take a peek, also at some of the developed systerms
Golden Dome for America
Revolutionizing U.S. Homeland Missile Defense
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/missile-defense/golden-dome-missile-defense.html
deanzaZZR
The few analyses I have seen on this suggests the best "Golden Throne, I mean Dome" can do is protect from a rogue nuclear power like North Korea. Trillions will be spent and China and Russia will develop far less costly counter-measures.
Meanwhile ...
USA MIC and Congress applauds the fat contracts.
deanzaZZR
You fear Chinese will nuke fellow Chinese? When Chiang Kai-shek wanted to develop nukes to "protect" the island province of Taiwan the USA wisely shut it down.
Bob Fosse
Domestic terrorism and mass shootings are a far greater threat to Americans. Focus on those instead of throwing away billions on a fantasy project that will never happen.
isabelle
No, that Chinese (PRC) could nuke Taiwanese (ROC).
The PRC and ROC have about as much in common as the DPRK and ROK.
Reality doesn't change, even if you refuse to accept it.
JboneInTheZone
Really braindead take here. Do you think countries can’t focus on multiple issues at a time?
HopeSpringsEternal
This is no fantasy project, check out the SpaceX website, along with everything X.ai is doing, this will be rolling out steadily in years to come, just like satellite constellation Musk is building, now approx. 80% of world's satellites!
Another point is this system will be able to also protect earth from unwanted meteors as an added bonus, and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs!
OssanAmerica
Biased much?
Nations that have already shot down satellites or other orbiting objects.
USA, USSR/Russia, China, India.
North Korea is just angry because they don't have ASAT capability. Maybe they can start on that after they learn how to launch a ship.
Bob Fosse
I think 47 prefers flashy bs to prioritizing matters of importance and substance. It fools his supporters diverts attention from serious issues.
He says this will be complete in 3 years. If you believe him you are braindead.
Tokyo Guy
Normally I think they'd have a point. But this administration is so breathtakingly incompetent, I'd bet dollars to donuts that even if it ever sees the light of day, it will fail on its first serious test.
grc
No wonder Roddenberry set the original Stat Trek four hundred years in the future
wallace
Trump likes to spend big on his toys. Tanks, missiles, and missile domes. No more t-shirts and hats for him. What happened to Reagan's missile dome, or "Star Wars" as it was called then, those space jockies?
https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2023-09/features/enduring-impact-reagans-strategic-defense-initiative#:~:text=Nevertheless%2C%20the%20prospect%20of%20space,arms%20control%20limits%20in%20space.
Wasabi
Golden Dome is the beautiful wall from trump 1st term. It will be the same result, taxes will pay for it and it will serve nothing and be full of holes.
Express sister
I am pleased to hear you admit the truth that the government of Israel is more bloodthirsty than that of Palestine.
HopeSpringsEternal
Everybody was laughing a SpaceX for years, then Starlink for years and now nobody laughing anymore, as SpaceX likely the most valuable company in the world.
Turns out technology advances, imagine that?! Missile defense shields already exist, Golden Dome, just bigger and better!
GuruMick
Israels iron dome is effective against "home made " missiles " made by a rag tag militia like Hamas armed fighter group or even Hezbollah.
Thats the answer to a couple of posters above.
Secondly, the concept does "weaponise space " and throws any nuclear weapon reduction plan back decades.
Thirdly, the US has proxies and "allies " who presumably wont have a " dome " but would be drawn into any multi nation war BY the USA insistance.
So, "suck eggs " for those unprotected nations.
Finally, is this another Trump thought bubble for today.?
Hows the Mexican wall, annexing Panama canal, buying Greenland, taking over Canada, ending a couple of wars....all coming along.?
HopeSpringsEternal
Israel has several layers of missile defense, iron dome just being the most well-known, other layers for larger and faster missiles from higher altitude etc.
Golden Dome will be next level and Space based as well
HopeSpringsEternal
Trump's solving problems, support for Golden Dome is VERY high in US, Trump's support never higher in recent Trafalgar findings, Gallop just released a poll yesterday showing incredible US consumer economic confidence
Turns out Trump was right, including the Golden Dome
OssanAmerica
Even if this Golden Dome is both technologically and financially feasible, the sheer incompetance of the Trump administration makes me believe that this will not happen during his 2nd term. Maybe in the future with an intelligent and capable President and administration.
deanzaZZR
Ethnic Koreans north and south of the 38th parallel are not Koreans? Ethnic Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait are not Chinese? Here's a suggestion. Visit Taiwan. Next take the short flight to Xiamen or Fuzhou in Fujian. Then tell me how little the people in Fujian and Taiwan have in common.
HopeSpringsEternal
It'll happen, Golden Dome, in stages and like any other serious 'system' will be constantly upgrading for MANY decades if not longer to come. No reason to not believe some operational functionality can occur within few years
wallace
Israel, when compared to the size of the US, is smaller than many states, so easier to protect with its Iron Dome. The US is much larger and is a long way off from building a Star Wars defense system capable of covering even 25% of the country.
JustAGoodOleBoy
This coming from a country that can't launch a ship off a dry dock.
bass4funk
Yes, mutual assured destruction aka: MAD
Why? Because you say so??
Who knows?
HopeSpringsEternal
Nobody here can judge the technical capabilities of such a secretive system as the Golden Dome or what these capabilities will be in the future. It's well known that from Space, many more things possible than from earth.
In the future, MANY countries will ask to join and will $pay to do so, just like any other insurance policy!
Peter14
China has quietly been weaponizing space since Xi took power, but unlike the US, China keeps its moves much quieter.
"Several recent editions of the Pentagon's Chinese military power report claim China is developing and intends to deploy such weapons, including a direct-ascent system, ground-based laser anti-satellite weapons, and microsatellites for weapons purposes."
Plus this:-
https://thediplomat.com/2017/01/how-china-is-weaponizing-outer-space/
Regan wanted "star wars system" but it never happened. Trumps attempts are Star wars system 2.0. America having another crack at it.
The arms race started by China to attempt to gain dominance and Russia's invasion of Ukraine which has turned Russian industry to include a much higher arms manufacturing capacity, plus Russia mentoring North Korean weapons modernization, all threaten America, Europe and Asia- Pacific regions. This forces all nations to increase their own defensive postures and accelerate arms purchases.
This will not end well for mankind, it could end up an extinction level event.
TaiwanIsNotChina
No reason to believe anything coming out of TrumpGPT.
Wasabi
After Trump’s tenure, many countries may find it difficult to fully trust the United States again. Confidence in the so-called "protective umbrella" has been shaken, and the U.S. may no longer be seen as a reliable guardian. Nations that value democratic principles and freedom — like Canada, much of Europe, and hopefully Japan — are unlikely to support aggressive or unilateral policies going forward.
wallace
bass4funk
Trump likes to spend big on his toys. Tanks, missiles, and missile domes.
No more t-shirts and hats for him.
No, it was Trump who said yesterday. You didn't get the memo?
https://youtu.be/bB9dwrt40jA?si=EYuOyIjXlJEQnIi1
Cephus
"Another point is this system will be able to also protect earth from unwanted meteors as an added bonus, and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs!"
With all respects, I can assure without a shadow of a doubt no system made by man/woman can stop an asteroid coming through!
James Dean Jr.
"Whether or not the Golden Dome system is realistic, concerns about space weaponization aren’t new — and they’re not just coming from North Korea. The tech might evolve, but global mistrust around military use of space remains the real challenge.
bass4funk
There’s always Vietnam and India, better quality anyway
Cephus
"Whether or not the Golden Dome system is realistic, concerns about space weaponization aren’t new — and they’re not just coming from North Korea. The tech might evolve, but global mistrust around military use of space remains the real challenge."
I can't agree with you more!!, mistrust around military use of space remains the real challenge and currently it's no longer work of fiction but a reality. A couple of years ago I saw a hijacked or stolen Angolan rocket set on collisions course with interstellar asteroid "Oumuamua" it seems the goal was to find what kind of technology the interstellar was made of but without the intervention of the Almighty God things could have ended very badly on the ground below.
Daniel Neagari
Golden dome? ... more like a Golden Shower ....
This plan is in direct contradiction with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.... of course we all know, Trump administration gives a "golden shower" about international treaties and laws...
Admitively, the US and Rusia and China (and a couple of other countries) no doubt have considered something similar in the past (Regan with his Star Wars project for example.... another yet less evil Republican egomaniac).
The reason why there has been none of those space weapon thingies?... easy, MONEY!!
It cost a buch of money to take the weapons in orbit, it cost a bunch more to keep them in orbit and operating.
As a bonus, they are susceptible and easy target to attacks... specially that you don't need to reach them.. you only need a strong enough EMP or even a blast to take them out of orbit.
But well... if Trump wants his space "pee-pee" it will be done with US tax payers money that will fail