North Korea has the "legitimate right" to test weapons and "strengthen defense capabilities": these are the words, at the UN General Assembly, of North Korean Ambassador Kim Song, shortly after a bullet was fired into the sea unidentified detected by South Korea.
"Nobody can deny our right to self-defense", the North Korean diplomat insisted, calling on the United States to cease its "hostile policy" towards his country.
"We are only strengthening our national defense capabilities in order to reliably defend ourselves and guarantee the country's security and peace," added Kim Song.
The United States "should in fact demonstrate that it has no hostile will towards us," continued the North Korean diplomat. "If so, we are ready to respond" in the same way "but it does not appear that the United States is ready" to take that direction, he said.
The Americans must "cease their military exercises and stop deploying a strategic panoply against our country", the Pyongyang ambassador again asked.
THE US ANSWER - The new missile launch was strongly condemned by the US State Department, which invited Pyongyang to dialogue.
"The United States condemns the launch, which constitutes a violation of the multiple resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and poses a threat to its neighbors and the international community," reads an American note calling on North Koreans "to engage in dialogue. ".
(Unioneonline / vl)