North Korea criticized the U.S. Monday for allowing South Korea to build up its military capabilities.
A North Korean official described the move as hostile and warned it could lead to an "unstable situation."
South Korean and U.S. leaders concluded a summit last week where a decadeslong restriction on Seoul's missile development was lifted. With the restriction that capped its missile program now gone, South Korea can build weapons without limits on their range.
The North Korean official said this would now prompt it to enhance its nuclear arsenal.
"The termination step is a stark reminder of the U.S. hostile policy toward (North Korea) and its shameful double-dealing. It is engrossed in confrontation despite its lip-service to dialogue," international affairs critic, Kim Myong Chol, said according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
The agency said Kim described the move as a "serious blunder" for the U.S. because it would create an "asymmetric imbalance" on the Korean Peninsula. He warned it could lead to unwanted consequences.
South Korea previously agreed to limit the range of its missiles under a deal with the U.S. The country's military was allowed to build missiles with a range of up to 800 kilometers only - enough to hit any target within North Korea but short of being able to reach Japan and China.
Some South Korean experts hailed the lifting of the restriction as a restoration of the country's military sovereignty. However, some critics claimed it may be the U.S.'s way of boosting South Korea's military capabilities given its growing rivalry with China.
Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-Joo said the comments made by Kim haven't yet been endorsed by the North Korean government - which means the country may still be open to talks.
During his recent visit to South Korea, U.S. President Joe Biden said he and South Korean President Moon Jae-in were willing to explore a "calibrated and practical approach" to explore diplomacy with North Korea.
U.S. officials said Biden will likely be taking a middle ground policy between his predecessors and was unlikely to lift sanctions unless North Korea took concrete denuclearization steps.
