N. Korea bristles at U.N., NATO criticism of its spy satellite launch

SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday slammed the chiefs of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), painting their criticism of the North's spy satellite launch as interference in internal affairs.

The North's criticism came in response to remarks by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that condemned its launch attempt as a grave violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The North's botched attempt to launch the satellite Wednesday goes against the resolutions banning its nuclear and missile programs, as the satellite launch shares the same technology used in ballistic missiles.

Jo Chol-su, director general of the international organization department at Pyongyang's foreign ministry, claimed the U.N. chief's statement breached the "sovereign rights" of a member state in an "unfair" act that interferes in domestic affairs, in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Jo said that the North will continue to exercise its sovereign rights, including the launch of a military spy satellite, to show that the U.N. does not belong to the United States.

In a separate statement also carried by the KCNA, Jong Kyong-chol, an international affairs analyst, slammed the NATO chief's "provocative" remark as interfering in domestic affairs.

Jong warned that "autonomous" countries in the Asia-Pacific will exercise their "powerful force" to deter war threats unless NATO ceases to interfere in the region. The analyst was seen referring to China and Russia.

He also claimed the North will consider NATO akin to the U.S. should the organization continue to breach its independence.

The North has vowed to "correctly" place a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit soon.

mlee@yna.co.kr
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