SEOUL– North Korea’s foreign ministry on Friday slammed the U.S. push for a presidential statement of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemning the regime’s recent missile provocations.
The United States has reportedly produced a draft of the document and circulated it among the other members of the UNSC. It features a strong condemnation of North Korea for its saber-rattling, including the launch last month of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile.
An unnamed spokesperson for the ministry said the U.S. is now trying to “cook up” a UNSC presidential statement condemning its “exercise of the right to self-defense,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
“The DPRK has already and clearly warned that such foolish attempt of the U.S. may entail a very undesirable consequence,” the spokesperson said in an English-language statement carried by the KCNA.
DPRK is the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The spokesperson added Pyongyang is closely watching what it described as “reckless moves of the U.S.”
A presidential statement of the 15-nation UNSC is one step below a resolution, requiring a consensus of all members. The U.S. bid for the document is an alternative to the adoption of another resolution against Pyongyang, which is opposed by China and Russia, the council’s permanent members with veto power.
In response to the North’s statement, the Seoul foreign ministry said Pyongyang’s repeated nuclear and missile provocations are in direct violation of a number of UNSC resolutions.
The ministry added South Korea will not tolerate such provocations and vowed to work closely with the international community to hold the North accountable for its provocations.
Source: Yonhap News Agency