North Korean official accuses UN of refusing to discuss alternatives to sanctions
North Korea’s UN representative accused the secretary general of ignoring multiple requests from Pyongyang to explore other options
North Korea has slammed UN Security Council resolutions meant to restrict the country’s trade and international financial ties and accused Secretary General Antonio Guterres of ignoring multiple requests from Pyongyang to consider alternatives.
North Korean deputy permanent representative to the UN Kim In-ryong said Guterres has not responded to requests to convene an “international forum of legal experts” to discuss the legal justification for UN sanctions implemented and tightened in recent years – most recently in November 2016.
Kim’s delegation has also sent several petitions to the UN Security Council seeking an emergency meeting to discuss joint military exercises conducted by the US and South Korea.
“However, as everybody witnessed, the UN secretariat turned its back to our fair requests, and rather picked a quarrel only with our legitimate exercise of the right to self-defence against the US nuclear threats and blackmail,” Kim said, reading from a prepared statement.