North Korea's Foreign Ministry expressed deep regret over the fact that UN Secretary-General’s criticism of recent missile launches.

“I express my deep regret for and categorically reject the statement issued by the UN Secretary-General on November 4 which groundlessly took issue with the DPRK over its just counteraction for self-defense to cope with the U.S. military provocations,” said Kim Son Gyong, Vice-Minister for International Organizations of the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

“The DPRK Foreign Ministry has already clarified that the military drills for counteraction conducted by the Korean People’s Army were a due reaction to the largest-ever combined air drill staged by the U.S. and South Korea,” Kim said, adding: “Despite this hard fact, the UN Secretary-General is echoing what the White House and the State Department say as if he were their mouthpiece. It is quite deplorable to note this.”

Kim went on to say: “If the war drills being staged in a frantic manner by openly introducing an aircraft carrier and strategic bombers against a sovereign state are described as 'defensive' and the exercise of the just right to self-defenses to cope with them is branded as “provocation”, the UN, whose most important mission is to maintain global peace and security, will lose its justification for existence.”

“Being the chief of the UN, a worldwide body, he should remain faithful to the mission and universal value of the UN which regards equity and objectivity as its lifeblood, and should not be biased towards the interests and views of a big power or a small group in judging and dealing with all matters,” he added. (ILKHA)