N. Korea slams European countries for taking issue with recent projectile firings

SEOUL, March 7 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday slammed five European nations for taking issue with its recent projectile firings, saying that it is "unreasonable" to criticize a sovereign country's ordinary military training.

On Thursday, Belgium, Britain, Estonia, France and Germany issued a statement, calling North's firings of two projectiles, presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles, on Monday a provocation that violated U.N. Security Council resolutions.

North Korea's media claimed that the launches were part of a long-range artillery firing drill overseen by leader Kim Jong-un.

A spokesperson of the North's foreign ministry said in a statement that the firings were part of a "customary training," adding that condemning them is tantamount to demanding "us to give up our right to self-defense."

"Those countries' unreasonable thinking and obstinacy increasingly look just like the United States," said the statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

"Reckless behavior by such countries abetted by the U.S. could become a fuse that could precipitate our grave and yet another response," it added.

Monday's firings were the first of their kind in more than three months and the first since the North threatened earlier this year to showcase a "new strategic weapon" in the near future.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)