A Democratic People's Republic of Korea flag flies above the Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang, March 9, 2019. (ED JONES / AFP)

SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s state media on Monday criticized the recent termination of a pact between the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) that capped the development of ROK's ballistic missiles, calling it a sign of Washington's "shameful double-dealing".

ROK 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 800 kilometers after his first summit with US President Joe Biden earlier this month.

The termination step is a stark reminder of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK and its shameful double-dealing.

Kim Myong-chol, an international affairs critic from DPRK

DPRK's official KCNA news agency carried an article by Kim Myong-chol, who it described as an "international affairs critic," to accuse the United States of applying a double standard as it sought to ban Pyongyang from developing ballistic missiles.

The United States is "engrossed in confrontation despite its lip-service to dialogue," Kim said. "The termination step is a stark reminder of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK and its shameful double-dealing."

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DPRK's target is the United States, not ROK's military, and it will counter the United States on "the principle of strength for strength," Kim said.

Kim also criticized Moon for welcoming the termination of the guidelines, calling it "disgusting, indecent".

"Now that the U.S. 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.

The ROK is also referred to as South Korea.

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