朝鲜宣称导弹可以打击美国本土

North Korea is warning that its rockets are capable of striking the continental United States, two days after Seoul said it signed a deal with Washington to allow South Korea to extend the range of its ballistic missiles.

A spokesperson for the North\'s National Defense Commission said in state media Tuesday Pyongyang has "strategic rocket forces" that can hit not only the mainland U.S., but also American military bases in South Korea, Japan and Guam.

North Korea is believed to be developing intercontinental ballistic missiles, but they have not been tested successfully. While Pyongyang does have the capability to strike South Korea and other nearby countries, experts say it could not strike the U.S. mainland.

It is Pyongyang\'s first public reaction to the deal announced Sunday in Seoul between the U.S. and South Korea, which nearly tripled the range of Seoul\'s missile system to protect against a possible attack from the nuclear-armed North.

朝鲜国防委员会的发言人星期二通过国家媒体说，平壤方面拥有的战略导弹部队不仅可以打击美国本土，而且还可以打击韩国、日本和关岛的美军基地。

朝鲜被认为正在研制洲际弹道导弹，但是还没有试验成功。专家说，朝鲜的导弹虽然具有打击韩国和其它附近邻国的能力，但是打不到美国。

这是自从美国和韩国星期天宣布达成增加韩国导弹射程的协议以来朝鲜第一次做出公开反应。美韩协议允许韩国把其导弹射程扩大将近三倍，以防御掌握核武器的朝鲜可能发动的攻击。