North Korean state media said Tuesday South Korea has no right to criticize Pyongyang over its recent launch of projectiles into the East Sea.
Radio Pyongyang made the claim, referring to the North's recent launch as a
"normal" military exercise within its territorial waters. The media also claims that Seoul is responsible for violating an inter-Korean an agreement to reduce military tensions.
"Therefore, the international community, as well as the United States and Japan, have said the strike drill was not a violation of a promise as it was neither a launch of an
intermediate range missile nor an intercontinental ballistic missile,"
Radio Pyongyang announced.
Following the launch on May 4, the South Korean military called on the North to
stop escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, saying their recent move goes
against the spirit of the inter-Korean military agreement signed in September. The North
then fired off two short-range missiles last week, just five days after the launch of
the projectiles.
"It is a shameless complaint from the ones who lost the right to talk about the deal
by recklessly infringing upon the North-South military agreement, sticking to secret hostile acts with the U.S.," Radio Pyongyang said, denouncing Seoul's joint military trainings
with Washington.
Calling South Korean military's response as an effort to mislead public opinion to hide its own "criminal" attempt for military confrontation, Radio Pyongyang said the North will
never "stay silent" on Seoul's move to put "unfair blame" on them.
"South Korean military should clearly know that if it continues talking nonsense like now when it has totally lost the right to do so, it will only be faced with more criticism and humiliation from inside and out," Radio Pyongyang said. (Yonhap)
