The south Korean defence minister's recent call for beefing up missile potential is what was expected, as it was a result of the confab between the U.S. and south Korea, Alexandr Vorontsov, a researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, added.

The researcher further said:

In October last year, the U.S. gave a green light to south Korea's proposal on extending the range of missile up to 800 kilometers. The approval evoked different responses from the international community.

The Foreign Ministry of Russia expressed apprehension over it. It was because such move would spark off a new round of arms race, missile race in the Korean Peninsula. Now the south Korean authorities claim that the measure was taken to cope with the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK.

The escalated missile crisis in Asia is due to the U.S behavior.

The agreement signed between south Korea and the U.S. in the past suggested that the former can get access to missiles with a range of less than 300 kilometers.

At present the U.S. allowed south Korea to extend it up to 800 kilometers.

Besides, it schemes to offer south Korea the information obtained from satellites and drones, should south Korea set up an integrated MD system, which is a part of the theatre missile defence system sought by the U.S.

The DPRK's "missile threat" is no more than an excuse.