"We strongly denounce and reject the U.S. provocative act of revealing once again its invariable hostile intention against [North Korea] while openly interfering in its internal affairs and infringing upon its sovereignty," the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
It also claimed that the U.S.' repeated calls for denuclearization amounted to a "grave political provocation" and showed that the U.S. had "no intention to coexist" with the North.
The statement, in which Pyongyang claimed that its nuclear arsenal is an "inevitable option" to counter what it called Washington's "persistent nuclear threat," came at a recent meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors in Vienna, shortly after the U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to the "complete denuclearization of North Korea."
North Korea also insisted that the IAEA has "no legal right or moral justification to interfere in the internal affairs" of the country, which it says lies outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said North Korea appears to be justifying its nuclear development by leveraging closer ties with Russia while restoring its relationship with China following its leader Kim Jong-un's recent visit to Beijing.
"By strengthening ties with its traditional allies of Russia and China, Pyongyang aims to justify its nuclear weapons program and resist international pressure for denuclearization," he said. "It could also be a signal that Pyongyang will not engage in talks if denuclearization is on the agenda," he added.
Meanwhile, Kim's powerful sister, Yo-jong, warned the previous day that South Korea's joint military exercises with Japan and the U.S. would bring "bad results," calling them a "reckless show of force."
The annual exercise, which began Monday, runs until Friday.
reporter
Cheon Soram
cheons@ajupress.com
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