U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump announced his plans for the “Golden Dome,” a national ballistic and cruise missile defense systemNorth Korea has launched a blistering critique of Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile shield, warning it could escalate conflicts into nuclear space warfare. The warning comes after China made a similar prediction, potentially flaming tensions between the nations.
The advanced defense system, aimed at thwarting “next-generation” threats including hypersonic and ballistic missiles, was announced last week.
Though still under development, the Golden Dome – which has been slammed for ‘cutting billions of dollars from Medicare’ – is poised to be an integrated web of radar, interceptors, and space-based weaponry to counteract aerial and space attacks with unrivaled accuracy and speed. However, Pyongyang perceives it as a hostile act.
Pet chimp rips off Connecticut woman’s face and hands and starts eating her eyesMelania Trump’s true feelings towards Donald Trump picked up by lip reader
North Korea’s foreign ministry, quoted by state-controlled media, slammed the initiative, labeling it “the height of self-righteousness [and] arrogance,” and castigated the US for its ambitions to “hell-bent… to militarise outer space.”
North Korea have issued a chilling warning to Donald Trump(Image: (Photo by Handout/Dong-A Ilbo via Getty Images))Pyongyang cautioned that such plans might “turn outer space into a potential nuclear war field” and provoke “a global nuclear and space arms race.”
This fiery rhetoric starkly contrasts with the fleeting détente between Pyongyang and Washington during Trump’s earlier term, reports the Mirror US.
Back in 2018, Trump made history as the first incumbent US president to meet with a North Korean counterpart, conducting a groundbreaking summit with Kim Jong-un in Singapore.
That meeting sparked an exchange of personal missives between the two heads of state, with Trump exalting Kim’s letters as “love letters” and depicting their rapport as “a very good one.”
Despite the high-profile diplomacy, denuclearisation talks fell apart in 2019, and tensions have been on the rise. North Korea has since doubled down on weapons development and declared itself a nuclear weapons state under a 2022 law.
Earlier this year, it boasted of test-firing a new intermediate-range ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic warhead capable of reaching US military targets in the Pacific.
Analysts suggest Pyongyang likely perceives the Golden Dome as a strategic threat.
North Korea issued a warning to Trump about his plans(Image: (Photo by Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images))“If the US completes its new missile defense program, the North will be compelled to develop alternative means to counter or penetrate it,” stated Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
He pointed out that the system could “significantly weaken” North Korea’s nuclear deterrent. North Korea isn’t alone in its objections.
China has also voiced opposition to the Golden Dome project.
For all the latest news straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletters here.
Beijing expressed serious concern last week about the US plan, describing it as having “strong offensive implications.”
China’s foreign ministry accused Washington of pursuing a “‘US-first’ policy” and claimed the effort “violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised and undermines global strategic balance and stability.”
While US defense officials argue that an upgraded missile shield is essential in the face of new threats, critics caution that the Golden Dome could ignite further instability.
The project’s sheer size and audacious goals have sparked not only concerns about geopolitical repercussions but also about cost and feasibility. An initial £18.5 billion has been set aside for the program in a new defense budget bill.
However, government estimates hint that the total cost could skyrocket to £375 billion over several decades, potentially putting pressure on the Pentagon’s budget and facing political opposition domestically.
For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here.