The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday said the new "strategic flexibility" agreement on the more convenient deployment of U.S. troops in South Korea to other Asia-Pacific areas will further strain the situation in the region and provoke a fresh, fierce arms race.

"What should not be overlooked is that the agreement is aimed at mounting a preemptive attack on the DPRK without difficulty," a spokesman for the DPRK's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding, "the agreement has further strained the situation in and around the Korean Peninsula and sparked a fresh, fierce arms race."

The DPRK said the agreement left it no other choice but to "steadily bolster up its military deterrent to cope with the tense situation prevailing in and around the peninsula."

There is no remark about the use of nuclear weapons or its nuclear program in the statement.

The agreement on U.S. troops deployed in South Korea came at a Washington meeting in January between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon.

According to the communique issued on Jan. 19, South Korea expressed its respect for the necessity for "strategic flexibility" of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.

At the same time, the U.S. side promised to respect Seoul's position that it shall not be involved in regional conflicts in Northeast Asia against the will of the South Korean people.

"The agreement on the strategic flexibility of the U.S. forces in South Korea has paved the way for turning South Korea into an outpost and a logistical base serving the U.S. in realizing its Asia strategy," the DPRK statement said.

"This is no more than sheer sophism intended to deceive the people," the statement said, adding, "The agreement diametrically runs counter to the UN Charter which stipulates that all UN member nations shall refrain from threatening other countries by force."

The U.S. currently has 30,000 troops stationed in South Korea, but it plans to reduce its troops to 25,000 by 2008 under its global strategy plan.

Source: Xinhua