North Korea criticizes UN chief for statement condemning its botched satellite launch

ANKARA

North Korea protested on Friday against UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' statement condemning Pyongyang's failed launch of a military spy satellite, calling it an "extremely unfair and unbalanced act of interfering in its internal affairs."

Jo Chol Su, director general of the Department of International Organizations of the Foreign Ministry, in a statement, described the UN chief’s statement as an "unbalanced and prejudiced stand."

"I strongly protest against the statement issued by the UN secretary-general denouncing the DPRK's launch of military reconnaissance satellite and resolutely condemn and reject his improper behavior of encroaching upon the legitimate sovereign right of a member state of the UN as an extremely unfair and unbalanced act of interfering in its internal affairs," Jo said, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Jo added that his country launched the military reconnaissance satellite as a logical and legitimate response to military threats from the US and its allies.

"Nobody is entitled to take issue with this, even though he is the UN secretary-general," he said.

On Wednesday, North Korea launched its new type of satellite carrier rocket "Chollima-1" which crashed into the West Sea of Korea.

The move was condemned by the US, South Korea, Japan, and Australia as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Guterres strongly condemned the military satellite launch, saying "Any launch using ballistic missile technology is contrary to the relevant Security Council resolutions,” according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The UN chief reiterated his call for North Korea to cease such acts and to swiftly resume dialogue in order to achieve the goal of sustainable peace and complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid