North Korea labels South Korea 'hostile state' after joint EU statement
En resumen
- North Korea's foreign ministry declared South Korea an "invariable enemy state" and a "hostile state" in response to a joint statement by Seoul and the EU condemning Pyongyang's military cooperation with Russia.
- The North Korean statement called the joint declaration an "infringement on sovereignty" and a "grave hostile act."
Resumen generado por IA
Por qué importa
North Korea issued a press statement via the Korean Central News Agency responding to a joint statement by South Korea and the EU. The joint statement condemned North Korea's military cooperation with Russia and expressed concerns over its nuclear and missile programs.
SEOUL, June 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Saturday blasted a recent joint statement adopted by South Korea and the European Union (EU) that condemned Pyongyang's military cooperation with Russia, saying it will continue to treat Seoul as "a hostile state."
In a press statement issued on the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the North Korean foreign ministry said South Korea is "an invariable enemy state obsessed with hostility and confrontation."
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and EU leaders adopted their joint statement Wednesday during Lee's summit talks with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, held at the EU headquarters in Brussels.
The South Korea-EU statement described the North-Russia military cooperation during the war in Ukraine as "illegal" and urged the two countries "to immediately cease all such activities and abide by the United Nations Charter and all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions." Lee and EU leaders also expressed "grave concerns" over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
In response, the North Korean foreign ministry claimed the joint statement was "a clear infringement on the sovereignty of our state and a grave hostile act."
It also accused Lee of taking off "the bothersome mask of 'peace'" and called South Korea "the first enemy state."
"Whatever the Seoul rulers say and do, the DPRK will deem it a challenge and remain unchanged in its principle of confronting the enemy aimed to definitely treat the ROK as a hostile state," the North's ministry said. "It has already been highlighted at home and abroad that the ROK regards hostility and confrontation as its foundation and it cannot exist even a moment without them."
The DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name, while the ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, the South's official name.
Preguntas abiertas
- Will North Korea's stance impact future inter-Korean dialogue?
- What specific military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is being referred to?
