SEOUL – North Korea has issued a strong condemnation of the United Nations Security Council’s recent meeting, which was called to address Pyongyang’s test of a hypersonic missile and other related issues. The closed-door meeting of the Council took place on Thursday, following North Korea’s launch of what it claims to be a solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile with a hypersonic warhead the previous Sunday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, via the official Korean Central News Agency, North Korea criticized the Security Council meeting as a response to “brigandish demand of the U.S. and its vassal states.” The statement emphasized that the missile test was a part of North Korea’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities.
Furthermore, the statement asserted that the missile test did not harm the security of neighboring countries and was unrelated to the current regional situation. The North Korean government maintained that such tests are part of the normal and lawful activities of a sovereign state.
The statement from Pyongyang also accused the U.N. Security Council of violating North Korea’s sovereignty, describing the meeting as “an unpardonable provocation” and an act that irresponsibly escalates the situation on the Korean peninsula. North Korea expressed deep regret that the Security Council discussed the country’s sovereign rights, without addressing what it sees as the serious military threat posed by the United States and its allies to the peace and stability of the peninsula.