MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday criticized Japan’s plan to introduce a land-based Aegis missile defense system to address North Korea’s missile threat, calling the measure excessive.

Maria Zakharova, ministry spokeswoman, said the installation of the system, known as Aegis Ashore, would be “disproportionate” to the missile threat in the region.

Tension on the Korean Peninsula has been high since North Korea conducted two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month, which sparked confrontational statements by the leaders of the United States and North Korea.

But Zakharova said a missile defense system such as Aegis Ashore could not be justified on the grounds that North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs are making progress.

She also said the planned installation would disrupt stability in the North Pacific because it could eventually become part of the global missile defense system of the United States.

Under Japan’s current multitier ballistic missile defense system, the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis destroyers equipped with Standard Missile-3 interceptors are tasked with intercepting missiles in the outer atmosphere.

If they fail, the Air Self-Defense Force’s Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air guided interceptors are the next line of defense.

The land-based Aegis Ashore system uses the same components fitted to MSDF Aegis destroyers.