N. Korea will continue to strengthen self-defensive deterrent: Pyongyang envoy

NEW YORK/SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korea will continue to strengthen its "self-defensive" deterrent, its ambassador to the United Nations said Monday, claiming military activities between South Korea and the United States are reaching a "dangerous level."

Kim Song made the remarks during a general debate session of the First Committee of the U.N. General Assembly, stressing Pyongyang would not concede "even an inch" when it comes to protecting its sovereignty.

"We will continue to consolidate our self-defensive deterrent for safeguarding the national security in the face of the geopolitical environment of the Korean Peninsula and the balance of power in the region as well as ever-straining international relations," Kim said.

The ambassador said that the North was compelled to follow the arduous road to building up self-defensive deterrent "in the face of harsh external environment created by the U.S. hostile policy and nuclear threats continued for over 70 years coupled with the double-standard acts of the hostile forces."

The North has recently been ramping up accusations that the South and the U.S. have been employing "double standards" in reference to the allies' criticism of the North's missile launches as provocation while justifying their own as "deterrence."

The ambassador also denounced the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance activities.

"The U.S.-South Korea alliance military activities are growing unrestricted to a dangerous level, including inter alia, the recent U.S. declaration of termination of the missile guidelines for South Korea," Kim said.

Earlier this year, the U.S. lifted the guidelines barring South Korea from developing or possessing ballistic missiles with a maximum range greater than 800 kilometers.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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