DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman on Its Missile Launches
Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA Thursday as regards the missile launches in the DPRK: In the wake of the missile launches by the Korean People's Army the U.S. and some other countries following it, including Japan, are making much ado about a serious development. They are terming them "violation" and "provocation" and calling for "sanctions" and "their referral to the UN Security Council."
The latest successful missile launches were part of the routine military exercises staged by the KPA to increase the nation's military capacity for self-defence.
The DPRK's exercise of its legitimate right as a sovereign state is neither bound to any international law nor to bilateral or multilateral agreements such as the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration and the joint statement of the six-party talks.
The DPRK is not a signatory to the Missile Technology Control Regime and, therefore, is not bound to any commitment under it.
As for the moratorium on long-range missile test-fire which the DPRK agreed with the U.S. in 1999, it was valid only when the DPRK-U.S. dialogue was under way.
The Bush administration, however, scrapped all the agreements its preceding administration concluded with the DPRK and totally scuttled the bilateral dialogue.
The DPRK had already clarified in March 2005 that its moratorium on the missile test-fire lost its validity.
The same can be said of the moratorium on the long-range missile test-fire which the DPRK agreed with Japan in the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration in 2002.
In the DPRK-Japan Pyongyang Declaration the DPRK expressed its "intention to extend beyond 2003 the moratorium on the missile fire in the spirit of the declaration." This step was taken on the premise that Japan moved to normalize its relations with the DPRK and redeem its past.
The Japanese authorities, however, have abused the DPRK's good faith. They have not honored their commitment but internationalized the "abduction issue," pursuant to the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK, although the DPRK had fully settled the issue. This behavior has brought the overall DPRK-Japan relations to what was before the publication of the declaration.
It is a manifestation of the DPRK's broad magnanimity that it has put on hold the missile launch so far under this situation.
The joint statement of the six-party talks on September 19, 2005 stipulates the commitments to be fulfilled by the six sides to the talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
But no sooner had the joint statement been adopted than the U.S. applied financial sanctions against the DPRK and escalated pressure upon it in various fields through them. The U.S., at the same time, has totally hamstrung the efforts for the implementation of the joint statement through such threat and blackmail as large-scale military exercises targeted against the DPRK.
It is clear to everyone that there is no need for the DPRK to unilaterally put on hold the missile launch under such situation.
Such being a stark fact, it is a far-fetched assertion grossly falsifying the reality for them to claim that the routine missile launches conducted by the KPA for self-defence strain the regional situation and block the progress of the dialogue.
It is a lesson taught by history and a stark reality of the international relations proven by the Iraqi crisis that the upsetting of the balance of force is bound to create instability and crisis and spark even a war.
But for the DPRK's tremendous deterrent for self-defence, the U.S. would have attacked the DPRK more than once as it had listed the former as part of an "axis of evil" and a "target of preemptive nuclear attack" and peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region would have been seriously disturbed.
The DPRK's missile development, test-fire, manufacture and deployment, therefore, serve as a key to keeping the balance of force and preserving peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
It is also preposterous for them to term the latest missile launches a "provocation" and the like for the mere reason that the DPRK did not send prior notice about them.
It would be quite foolish to notify Washington and Tokyo of the missile launches in advance, given that the U.S., which is technically at war with the DPRK, has threatened it since a month ago that it would intercept the latter's missile in collusion with Japan.
We would like to ask the U.S. and Japan if they had ever notified the DPRK of their ceaseless missile launches in the areas close to it.
The DPRK remains unchanged in its will to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula in a negotiated peaceful manner just as it committed itself in the September 19 joint statement of the six-party talks.
The latest missile launch exercises are quite irrelevant to the six-party talks.
The KPA will go on with missile launch exercises as part of its efforts to bolster deterrent for self-defence in the future, too.
The DPRK will have no option but to take stronger physical actions of other forms, should any other country dares take issue with the exercises and put pressure upon it.
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY SONGUN POLITICS UK AND JISGE
The Association For the Study of Songun Politics UK and the Juche Idea Study Group of England today issued the following statement in connection with the successful test launch of a number of missiles.
Firstly we congratulate the DPRK its succesful missile test.By launching the missiles the DPRK stood up to the bullying of the US imperialists and Japanese militarists.The DPRK fully demonstrated its independence by launching the missiles as it defied the pressure and blackmail of the US imperialists and their assorted followers.The launch was a powerful demonstration of the validity of Songun politics. The DPRK and KPA under the wise leadership of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il are facing down US imperialism.A new vista of anti imperialist anti US struggle is opening up.
No one should interefere in or take issue with the DPRK's missile launch.It is the DPRK's independent,autonmous and sovereign right to test is missiles.It is a just self defensive measure.US imperialism occupies illegally one half of Korea and has 1,000 nuclear weapons in south Korea.US imperialism has stepped up its inveterate hostility to the DPRK within the last year by introducing financial and third party sanctions(including sanctions against some Western companies that trade with the DPRK)against the DPRK,by staging war exercises such as RIMPAC 2006 against the DPRK,by increasing spy flights and introducing new spy planes into south Korea.Thus the DPRK's response by conducting self defensive exercises is entirely justified.Most of the so called 'countries of the international community' that have joined the US imperialists and Japanese militarists in the wild and undignified hullabloo are the satellite states and puppet regimes of US imperialism.It is regrettable that some other countries have allowed themselves to be drawn into this,such countries should think again and recognise the DPRK's sovereign right to self defence.
We call on all Juche idea and Songun idea followers to rally around the DPRK at this critical hour.We say US imperialists hands off the DPRK,
Yankee Go Home Now and take your weapons with you ! DPRK Foreign Ministry Refutes "Resolution of UN Security Council"
Pyongyang, July 16 (KCNA) -- The Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea issued today the following statement vehemently denouncing and totally refuting the "resolution" of the UN Security Council against the DPRK, a product of the U.S. hostile policy toward it: The vicious hostile policy of the United States towards the DPRK and the irresponsibility of the UN Security Council have created an extremely dangerous situation on the Korean Peninsula where the sovereignty of the Korean nation and the security of the state have been seriously infringed.
The U.S. has recently kicked up much row after bringing the issue of the missile launches conducted by our army as part of the routine military training for self-defence to the UN under the motto of reacting to it in one voice. It was against this backdrop that the U.S. forced the UN to adopt a UN Security Council resolution taking a serious note of our exercise of its right to self-defence on July 15.
The U.S. sponsored "resolution" called for an international pressure for disarming the DPRK and stifling it, terming the missile launches pertaining to its right to self-defence "a threat to international peace and security".
By doing so the U.S. sought to describe the issue between the DPRK and the U.S. as an issue between the DPRK and the UN and form an international alliance against the DPRK.
This has brought such serious consequences as gravely violating the dignity and sovereignty of the DPRK and driving the situation to an extreme pitch of tension, thereby seriously disturbing peace and security on the peninsula and in Northeast Asia.
It was an entirely unreasonable and brigandish act that the U.S. brought to the UN the DPRK's missile launches nothing contradictory to any international law after branding them as a violation.
This time the U.S. attempted till the last moment to apply Chapter 7 of the UN Charter legalizing a military action against the DPRK. This indicates that the "resolution" constitutes a prelude to the provocation of the second Korean war.
It is a brigandish logic to claim that missile launches conducted by the U.S. and Japan are legal while the training of missile launches conducted by the DPRK to defend itself is illegal.
Any missile fire or any nuclear test approved by the U.S. is connived at and they are not subject to discussion at the UN.
This is the reality today.
The U.S. has made mockery of the DPRK's true heart and sincere efforts to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner through dialogue and negotiations. Yet the U.S. is now asserting that it will not punish the DPRK once it come out for the six-party talks but punish it if it fails to do so. This is sheer sophism which can never be justified.
Only the strong can defend justice in the world today where the jungle law prevails.
Neither the UN nor anyone else can protect us.
The past history and the present reality show that only a country with its powerful force can defend the national dignity and its sovereignty and independence.
It is a day-dream to calculate that our principle will alter due to the change of the world.
We have already clarified that we will have no option but to take stronger physical actions should someone take issue with our army's training of missile launches for self-defence and put pressure on it.
The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK is authorized to clarify as follows in view of the grave situation prevailing on the peninsula:
First, our Republic vehemently denounces and roundly refutes the UNSC "resolution", a product of the U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK, and will not be bound to it in the least.
Second, our Republic will bolster its war deterrent for self-defence in every way by all means and methods now that the situation has reached the worst phase due to the extremely hostile act of the U.S.
We will firmly defend our own way the ideology and system chosen by our people, true to the Songun policy, a treasured sword.
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