REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) An Kwang Il has called the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against his country as illegal.
The ambassador stated during a media briefing in the North Korean Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday that the sanctions are violating the country's rights of implementing self-defense measures, and that the resolution released by the UNSC or any individual power shall never work on the Republic.
"We strongly condemn and reject the UNSC resolution, as it is a sinful document that is devoid of legitimacy," he noted.
The resolution was released by the UNSC as a sanction on North Korea, following the country's fifth and largest nuclear test yet.
"The nuclear tests and satellite launches by the DPRK were exercises of its rights of self-defense and a practical countermeasure to the nuclear threats and rash acts of sanctions by the US," he remarked.
He further added that North Korea's self-defense measures are aimed at defending the country's dignity and rights as a sovereign state, which should never be restricted by any international law.
"The UNSC's sanctions under the resolution only serve as a declaration of war, and the only thing left to be done is to wait for the flames of war that nobody knows when it will erupt," he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Ambassador of the US to Indonesia Joseph R. Donovan had earlier noted that North Korea had engaged in deeply disturbing and destabilizing actions.
"Testing a wide range of missiles and nuclear weapons are violations of the UNSC resolution and the international law," he stated in Jakarta on Apr 11.
It was earlier reported that the US Vice President Mike Pence had warned North Korea that the US' recent strike in Syria, which is one of Pyongyang's few close allies, demonstrated that President Donald Trump's resolve should not be tested.
In response, Ambassador Kwang Il emphasized that currently, the North Korean army is prepared to counterattack any provocation and aggression by the US, adding that peace talks with the US government are unrealistic at the moment, as dangers and threats have yet to be removed from the table.
Furthermore, in February, the Indonesian government had urged North Korea to fully meet its international obligations, including implementing the UN resolutions. Indonesia has also called on all parties to refrain from actions that could raise tensions in the region.
"Indonesia has also urged to immediately resume the six-party talks to ensure peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," Arrmantha Nasir, a spokesperson for Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted.
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