North Korea Condemns G7 Statement Criticizing North Korean Missile, Calls It "Legitimate Exercise of Self-Defense Rights"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] North Korea has strongly reacted against the recent condemnation of its missile tests by the Group of Seven (G7) leaders, calling it a "legitimate exercise of self-defense rights."

On the 2nd, Jo Cheol-su, Director of the International Organizations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to a question from a reporter of the Korean Central News Agency, stating, "Our self-defensive measures to strengthen national defense are a fair and legitimate exercise of the right to self-defense to protect our national sovereignty and interests from the threats posed by the United States, the world's largest nuclear power and a destroyer of international peace and security. No one has the right to criticize this."

He targeted the United States, saying, "Among the G7, there is a country that, as the world's largest nuclear power, pours astronomical amounts of funds into the large-scale development, deployment, and sale of aggressive killing equipment and does not hesitate to spread nuclear technology to realize its hegemonic ambitions." He added, "No matter what anyone says, we will never back down from the path of justice to protect our nation's dignity and sovereignty."

Jo further stated, "The G7's act of arbitrarily picking on other countries and dictating what to do based on their narrow and unjust interests and feelings is itself a mockery and insult to the international community." He also questioned the G7's "qualifications," saying, "The G7, which is nothing more than an aristocratic group, neither has the ability nor the legitimacy to lead the international community, and certainly has no authority to lecture other countries."

He criticized the member countries collectively, saying, "There are countries that have violently trampled on international laws, repeatedly invaded sovereign states, and massacred countless innocent civilians," and "There are also the biggest failures in pandemic response, which pursued only their selfish interests during the global pandemic, causing international vaccine inequality and resulting in numerous loss of lives."

Earlier, the G7 leaders, after concluding a three-day summit at Schloss Elmau in Bavaria, Germany, on the 28th of last month, issued a joint statement strongly condemning North Korea's continuous and illegal ballistic missile tests, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), conducted on March 24 and May 25.