North Korea has denounced South Korea, arguing that it is offering to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in order to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
 
The North's main propaganda Web site, Uriminzokkiri, claimed the U.S. is taking control on the issue of deploying the THAAD battery on the Korean Peninsula as a quid pro quo for overlooking Seoul’s move to become an AIIB member.
 
The Web site also claimed that the risks of war and the arms race that would result from the THAAD deployment will outweigh any economic benefits.