North Korea is slamming South Korean President Park Geun-hye for her latest attempt to garner public support for her government's decision to deploy the THAAD anti-missile defense system.

Park made an emotional appeal on Tuesday, saying the joint deployment with the US is meant to counter security threats posed by the North.

Park also calls the decision "irreversible."

A statement issued by the North Korean government has blasted Park, saying the North's nuclear capabilities are meant for self-defense against the US, and not as a weapon against South Korea.

North Korea fired off a pair of ballistic missiles on Wednesday.

One of them exploded after a failed launch.