The South Korean Air Force's first F-35A Lightning II stealth jet is put through an aerial demonstration at Lockheed Martin's manufacturing plant in Texas, Thursday (local time). / Yonhap



By Lee Min-hyung



North Korea has vented its anger over the South's plan to deploy 40 F-35A stealth jets by 2021, saying the move "gets in the way of the ongoing peace momentum" on the Korean Peninsula.



"Dialogue and confrontation can never co-exist at the same time," the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said Wednesday.



The criticism came after South Korea held a ceremony in the U.S. to mark the delivery of the first F-35A jet fighter to South Korea's Air Force. Lockheed Martin, the U.S.-based aerospace giant, plans to complete the first F-35A Lightning II delivery to the Republic of Korea Air Force next year, and will supply a total of 40 aircraft by 2021.



"Seoul is making a fuss that the country completed mapping out what it calls a new operation plan that can disable the North's core leadership and combat forces," the KCNA said. "The ongoing inter-Korean relationship urges both sides to remain careful in their behavior and words. The South should stop such stupid behavior."



Seoul and Pyongyang are in a rare mood for peace ahead of their planned summit later next month. This came as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered an unprecedented reconciliatory gesture to the South on the sidelines of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics which ended last month.



Last month, President Moon Jae-in accepted Kim's proposal for a summit, and helped extend the peaceful mood by mediating talks between Kim and United States President Donald Trump.



The KCNA also stepped up its criticism of Seoul's decision to introduce 90 Taurus air-launched cruise missiles. The Taurus has a maximum range of 500 kilometers and is renowned for its pinpoint accuracy.



"South Korea is on track to introduce new precision weapons that can strike major military facilities in the North," the regime's propaganda media said. "Seoul should put a complete stop to such a 'combat with dialogue' attitude which will end up in failure."



Earlier this month, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration said it signed contracts last month with the German missile system manufacturer.



In 2013, the South Korean defense acquisition unit also signed a contract to introduce 170 Taurus missiles for the first time here, and acquired an additional 90 missiles in 2016. The administration also purchased 90 more missiles last month.



In September last year, the Republic of Korea Air Force succeeded in test-launching a Taurus missile on the west coast of the nation. The missile successfully hit a target which was more than 400 kilometers away.

