North Korea Criticises UN Double Standards: Slams West as ‘Spearheading Moves to Undermine Global Peace’

North Korea has issued a sharp criticism of the position of the United Nations Security Council, with Director General of the Department of International Organisations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jo Chol Su stating on March 28th that UN double standards in policy violated Pyongyang’s sovereignty and the right to self-defence. This followed moves by the East Asian state to test two new short ranged tactical ballistic missiles - a move which the Security Council had arbitrarily sought to ban. Jo stated regarding efforts to deny his country the right to develop a missile deterrent: “It constitutes a denial of sovereign state and an apparent double standard that UNSC takes issue, on the basis of the UN 'resolutions' - direct products of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK - with the normal activities which fall within the right of our state to self-defence.”

Underlining perceived double standards, Jo Chol Su stress that the Security Council had not protested when the U.S. launched an illegal airstrike against Syria in late February, nor had it even commented when Britain announced it would make a significant increase in its maximum nuclear stockpile or when France tested of a new-generation of multi-tipped intercontinental range ballistic missile designed for nuclear attacks. "The United Nations Security Council does not have a single record of having questioned or discussed such acts. It is indeed preposterous that such countries spearheading the moves to undermine global peace and stability are picking on our self-defensive measure,” he stated. The director-general highlighted that these double standards would only contribute to aggravation of the situation in Korea. North Korea is one of nine countries that fields nuclear weapons, but has been singled out for pressure to disarm due to Western opposition of its nuclear program. The country has been technically at war with the United States since June 1950, and sees nuclear arms and ballistic missiles as vital to deterring potential U.S. attacks.