The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has defended its recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test-fire, asserting it was “a legitimate and just exercise of its sovereign right to self-defense.” The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Saturday that the launch was a countermeasure responding to provocative actions by hostile forces.
In a statement released on Friday, a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman criticized the United States and its allies for attempting to convene a United Nations Security Council meeting aimed at “seriously encroach[ing] upon the DPRK’s right to self-defense.” The spokesman condemned recent joint air drills conducted by the U.S. and its allies on the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas, labeling them as aggressive maneuvers that “viciously slander the reasonable exercise of sovereignty by the DPRK.”
The Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over what it called the hostile forces’ confrontational behavior, which it believes is creating a critical security situation for the DPRK. The ministry strongly denounced these actions as “a wanton violation of the UN Charter and other recognized international laws” and “a grave challenge to international peace and security.”
“It is the steadfast strategic option and will of the DPRK to thoroughly deter the danger of an outbreak of a nuclear war and powerfully control and manage the political and military situation in the region by countering the ever-dangerous military threat of the U.S. and its vassal forces with overwhelmed and absolute power,” the statement declared.
The DPRK conducted a “crucial” test of its latest ICBM, the Hwasongpho-19, on Thursday. The launch has heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, drawing international attention to the region’s security dynamics.
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DPRK Foreign Ministry says ICBM test-fire a 'legitimate exercise'
cgtn.com
