N. Korea accuses U.N. of 'double standard' for criticizing recent missile test
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, March 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Monday accused the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) of violating its sovereignty and applying a "double standard" as it is set to hold a meeting this week to discuss Pyongyang's recent missile launches.
Jo Chol-su, director-general of the Department of International Organizations of North Korea's foreign ministry, made the criticism in a statement, as the UNSC is to hold a closed-door meeting Tuesday after the North test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles last week.
"I strongly denounce the moves of UNSC as a serious infringement upon the dignity of an independent state and its sovereignty and a wanton violation of the UN Charter, as UNSC is holding meetings on and conducting investigations into the DPRK with its extreme bias and double standard," Jo said in the statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"We will never condone the moves of some members of UNSC for abusing the United Nations in their pursuits of ulterior motives to trample on the sovereignty of independent countries and hold in check their development," he added. "Any attempt to infringe upon our right to self-defense will inevitably prompt a countermeasure in kind."
Apparently referring to the recent joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, Jo also pointed out that the UNSC remains "silent" for carrying out "war drills" against the North, while "picking on" Pyongyang taking "self-defensive countermeasures."
"If this is the conduct of UNSC, we are only compelled to look at the cases of U.S., UK and France picking a quarrel with our self-defensive measure," he added.
North Korea confirmed Friday that it test-fired new tactical guided missiles a day earlier without leader Kim Jong-un's attendance.
This marked the North's first launch of ballistic missiles in about a year and also the first of its kind since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration.
Over the weekend, the North accused Biden for making a "provocation" for criticizing the missile test-firing during his first press conferences since taking office.
The UNSC meeting scheduled for this week comes days after a meeting of the U.N. sanctions committee on North Korea was held to discuss the North's latest missile launches.

A new type of a tactical guided missile is launched from the North Korean town of Hamju, South Hamgyong Province, on March 25, 2021, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. South Korea's military said the previous day that the North fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
(LEAD) S. Korea fully restores bilateral military information-sharing pact with Japan
-
N. Korea fires multiple cruise missiles toward East Sea: source
-
S. Korea, U.S. set for 'largest-ever' live-fire drills to mark alliance's 70th anniv.
-
(2nd LD) N. Korea fires multiple cruise missiles toward East Sea: S. Korean military
-
SsangYong Motor reborn as KG Mobility after takeover
-
Five years after its full nuke armament claim, N. Korea's threat becomes real, further complicated
-
(News Focus) S. Korea grapples with calls for nuclear armament
-
Talk of 'normalizing' GSOMIA raises hope, skepticism around Seoul-Tokyo ties
-
S. Korea, U.S., Japan close ranks amid growing N.K. threats
-
N. Korea says month-old virus crisis under control, but skepticism lingers