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DPRK vows to 'take further defense measures'
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-29 17:49 PYONGYANG -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea will take "further defense measures" if the UN Security Council sanctions it for its recent nuclear test, the official KCNA news agency said Friday. The DPRK "has the right to test nuclear bombs and missiles, which were proper defense measures for it and not in violation of any international law," the KCNA said, citing an unnamed spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry. The purpose of Monday's underground test was to counter the Security Council's moves against the DPRK's April 5 launch of a rocket that put a satellite into orbit, the spokesman said. "The United States and its followers were to blame for the current situation," he added. The DPRK also demanded that the Security Council cancel all resolutions against it. If the Security Council disregards the demand, the spokesman said, the DPRK would no longer accept any UN resolutions. The Security Council last month denounced the rocket launch, which was viewed by the United States and other countries as a disguised long-range missile test, and imposed sanctions on DPRK companies. The actions prompted Pyongyang to announce that it was quitting the six-party talks on nuclear disarmament and would restart its nuclear facilities. Special Coverage: DPRK Conducts Nuclear Test Related Stories: DPRK urged to return to nuke talks US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry Thursday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to the Six-Party Talks, saying what the country had done in the past week to escalate tensions was "reckless and counterproductive". The Rupulic of Korea (ROK) -US Combined Command Forces raised the watch level against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by one notch on Thursday, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported, citing an official. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Wednesday abandoned a truce that ended the Korean War and threatened to attack those who had provoked the country, in response to Seoul's decision to join a US-led international security initiative. World powers must be firm with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) but also take care to avoid inflaming tensions further, Russia's foreign minister said. The DPRK ignored international condemnation and test-fired two short-range missiles on Tuesday, and one again yesterday, adding to the three that it had tested the day before. DPRK scraps truce, raises tension in region with threats The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) yesterday abandoned a truce that ended the Korean War and threatened to attack those who had provoked the country, in response to Seoul's decision to join a US-led international security initiative. |
