North Korea on Friday vowed to develop cutting-edge striking means and bolster its nuclear deterrence against the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.

Rodong Sinmun, the North's ruling Workers' Party's official newspaper, said in an editorial that the country will develop its own style of state of the art striking means as it closely observes the U.S. plan to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea.

The paper also said that if THAAD is deployed on Korean soil, it will break the strategic balance among neighboring countries surrounding South Korea and the U.S. and increase military risks.

The North also warned that if a conflict occurs, South Korea will be the first target of neighboring countries as it is a major nuclear base for the United States.

The editorial blasted Washington for dividing the Korean people and putting the two Koreas at the risk of war for the past 70 years to realize U.S. hegemony.