Pyongyang Accuses Washington of Double Standards
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US ambassador to the United Nations calls on North Korea to engage in serious talks, while the latter accuses Washington of double standards.
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North Korea accused the US of double standards over weapons testing.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield, said on Wednesday that the US has "offered to meet the DPRK officials, without any preconditions."
Greenfield claimed that her country has made clear that it holds "no hostile intent toward the DPRK." This came after the Security Council met to discuss North Korea's latest missile test.
"These are unlawful activities. They are in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions. And they are unacceptable," commented Greenfield on Pyonyang's missile launching.
"The DPRK must abide by the Security Council resolutions and it is time to engage in sustained and substantive dialogue toward the goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the ambassador told reporters.
Greenfield pointed out that "Each new advancement of the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs destabilizes the region and threatens international peace and security."
Yesterday's missile launch is the latest in a series of reckless provocations by the DPRK and a serious violation of UNSC resolutions. All Member States must fulfill their obligations to prevent the DPRK from further developing its WMD & missile programs. https://t.co/dye7ZWUKFL
— Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) October 20, 2021
The US ambassador confirmed to reporters that President Joe Biden's administration is ready to engage in serious and ongoing diplomacy."
US double standards
For its part, North Korea accused the US of "double standards" over weapons testing, state media reported Thursday.
Pyongyang fired a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile on Tuesday, the latest in a series of tests in recent weeks, prompting the US and Britain to call the diplomatic meeting in New York.
A spokesperson from North Korea's foreign ministry said the test was not aimed at the US and was carried out "purely for the defense of the country."
"So there is no need for the US to worry or trouble itself over the test-firing," the spokesperson said in a statement, reported North Korea's state news agency.
The statement added that Washington's criticism of North Korea for "developing and test-firing the same weapon system as the one the US possesses, or is developing, is a clear expression of double standards."
"It only excites our suspicion" about the sincerity of Washington's insistence it has no hostile intent towards the country, it said.
Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un described the US as being the root cause of tensions in the Korean peninsula.
