Kim Yong-nam, the foreign minister, said on state radio today that the trilateral pact is “aimed at containing” the communist nation

North Korea’s foreign minister has criticized a new military agreement between the United States, South Korea, and Japan as “a threat to the security of our country.”

Kim Yong-nam, the foreign minister, said on state radio today that the trilateral pact is “aimed at containing” the communist nation. The deal was signed earlier this week in Washington, D.C. by Secretary of State Colin Powell, South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kuk and Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka.

Under the agreement, the three countries will work together on joint military training programs and share intelligence information on weapons of mass destruction, according to an American official who spoke anonymously because the agreement hadn’t yet been made public.

The official said North Korea was not specifically mentioned in the agreement but the United States, South Korea, and Japan have already held talks about how to deal with Pyongyang’s missile program. Kim’s comments were “not unexpected” and should be seen as an attempt to divert attention from problems within his own country, the official said.

Kim criticized the accord for lacking balance and warned that if it is implemented North Korea would have no choice but to increase its military capabilities. He also accused Washington of trying to “turn all the countries around us into a shield” against Pyongyang’s forces. The North has long complained that U.S.-South Korean military exercises in the region are designed to invade the North.

The accord was part of the third meeting between Powell and his South Korean and Japanese counterparts since they took office in January 2001, according to the State Department. It follows a series of high-level talks aimed at mending frayed ties among the three countries, which have deep historic animosities.

The new agreement also calls for increased cooperation on issues such as terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons proliferation, officials said. “It’s another step in trying to bring these countries together,” Powell said.

A State Department official said the pact is not intended to contain North Korea but rather enhance security within the three nations’ borders through increased information sharing and training. The U.S. maintains a troop presence in both South Korea and Japan.

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