Permanent Mission of North Korea to U.N. defends Pyongyang's nuclear weapons as sovereign right

[August 05, 2023]  SEOUL (Reuters) - The Permanent Mission of North Korea to the United Nations has criticized the U.S. for having nuclear weapons and urged it to stop "sharing nuclear" or "beefing up extended deterrence," state media KCNA reported on Saturday. 

North Korea's Ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song speaks during a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly after China and Russia vetoed new sanctions on North Korea in the U.N. Security Council, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

While criticizing the U.S. over the AUKUS alliance and the Nuclear Consultative Group with South Korea, Pyongyang defended its nuclear weapons as an "exercise of sovereignty."

"Signatories to the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) should not take issue with the DPRK over its legitimate exercise of sovereignty, as it had legally withdrawn from the NPT 20 years ago," the DPRK permanent mission to the UN Office and international organizations in Vienna was quoted as saying.

DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"Its nuclear force will never be a threat to those countries respecting its sovereignty and security interests," the permanent mission said.

(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sandra Maler)

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