U.S. offers Aegis weapons system to S. Korea

The Aegis is one of the U.S. navy's most sophisticated weapons control systems

WASHINGTON -- The United States says it plans to sell three sophisticated Aegis naval defense systems to South Korea.

The Aegis system, to be installed on three South Korean destroyers, is described by the U.S. Navy as a "total weapons system", designed to simultaneously track and shoot down a number of aircraft.

The U.S. defense department says the total value of the sale will be an estimated $1.2 billion.

The plan is expected to draw protests from North Korea, but U.S. officials say the system will help a key ally defend itself against a growing threat from the North's missile development program.

In its notification of the U.S. Congress of the proposal the Pentagon said the sale of the Aegis systems would "contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by significantly improving the defense capabilities and security of a key defense treaty ally."

'Evil'

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Since coming to office the Bush administration has taken an increasingly tough line on North Korea.

In his January State of the Union address President Bush labeled the secretive communist state part of an "axis of evil" along with Iran and Iraq -- a group he said threatened "the peace of the world."

The tag set off a tirade of anti-American rhetoric from North Korea.

That was fuelled further by revelations earlier this month that the North was one of seven countries considered potential targets for U.S. nuclear weapons strikes in future conflict scenarios.

Last week the U.S. top envoy on North Korea held his first talks with the North Korean representative to the United Nations since Bush's "axis of evil" speech.

Although few details emerged from the meeting between envoy Charles Pritchard and ambassador Pak Gil-yon, the two sides did agree to continue their dialogue the U.S. State Department said.