N. Korea raps UN chief's condemnation of Pyongyang's botched launch of spy satellite
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on screens, delivers a remote statement, during the opening of the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77) at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, May 27. EPA-Yonhap
North Korea on Thursday denounced U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' latest criticism of Pyongyang's botched launch of a spy satellite, describing him as a "servant" of the United States who has repeated the same words of condemnation as those coming from Washington.
On Tuesday, Guterres condemned the North's launch of a spy satellite that ended in failure the previous day and urged Pyongyang to return to dialogue, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.
Kim Son-gyong, North Korea's vice foreign minister in charge of international organization, said the U.N. chief "rudely decried" North Korea's exercise of its sovereign rights, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"He, beyond the level of expressing concern, parroted without hesitation the senseless word of the same 'condemnation' with that which came out from the loudspeaker of the U.S. Department of State," Kim said in a statement carried by the KCNA, calling him a "servant" of the U.S.
He also warned of "catastrophic consequences" over the plan by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to convene an opening meeting Friday to discuss Pyongyang's failed satellite launch.
"I express deep concern about the fact that the UNSC is going to convene an open meeting again to call the DPRK's legitimate satellite launch into question at the brigandish demand of the U.S. and its followers and give a warning to the UNSC of the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its reckless act," Kim said.
This footage shows the explosion of North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite launched on Monday night, captured by surveillance equipment on a South Korean naval vessel. Courtesy of South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff
North Korea has claimed that the country's launch of a spy satellite is the exercise of its sovereign right to pursue a space development program. But any launch using ballistic missile technology by the North is a violation of multiple UNSC resolutions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. (Yonhap)