N. Korea slams U.N. Security Council for taking issue with its space program

All News 11:32 November 20, 2020

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations has criticized the U.N. Security Council for labeling its outer space program as threats, calling the agency an "undemocratic organ devoid of impartiality."

Kim Song, the chief of the North Korean mission to the U.N., delivered a statement at the plenary meeting of the U.N. General Assembly session earlier this week, stressing the importance of reform of the U.N. agency for better representation of its member states.

"Until now even after 75 years of the founding of the United Nations, the Security Council does not extricate itself from the stigma of an undemocratic organ devoid of impartiality," Kim said, according to the statement posted on the North Korean foreign ministry's website.

The envoy slammed the U.N. agency for condemning its outer space program as threats to international peace, saying the "practice of double standards and unfairness should no longer be tolerated."

"As is well known, illegal armed invasions and air strikes against sovereign states resulting in civilian killings are left unquestioned, whereas the righteous self-defensive measures for safeguarding sovereignty and even the exploration of outer space for peaceful purposes are labeled and condemned as threats to international peace," he said.

Kim, in particular, stressed that Japan should "never" be permitted as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

"Japan is a war criminal state that had inflicted immeasurable misfortunes and sufferings upon the humankind by invading many Asian countries, including Korea, and provoking the Pacific War in last century," he said.

"Such a country is seeking a permanent membership of the Security Council whose main responsibility is to maintain international peace and security. It is no more than a mockery of and insult to the United Nations," the envoy added.

Japan, Brazil, Germany and India have been pushing to secure permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, in addition to Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.