N. Korea expresses 'regret' over UN chief's rebuke

North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has called United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "a puppet of the United States," Yonhap news agency reported citing KCNA news agency. She made the remarks after Guterres condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch of an intercontinental range.

Choe Son-hui said that the Guterres "connived at the facts" that the United States and its "vassal forces" were referring to North Korea's exercise of "inviolable sovereignty" to the United Nations Security Council to impose pressure on Pyongyang.

"The [UN] secretary-general connived at the fact that the US and its vassal forces were referring the DPRK's exercise of its inviolable sovereignty to the UN Security Council to put pressure on it. This clearly proves that he is a puppet of the US," Yonhap cited KCNA for quoting Choe Son-hui.

North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui expressed regret over UN Chief's "deplorable attitude." Referring to UN Secretary-General's statement regarding North Korea on Friday, she said that Guterres termed North Korea's "just exercise" of their right to "self-defence." She made the remarks as the UN Security Council is due to convene an emergency meeting in New York on Monday (local time) in response to North Korea's latest ICBM launch.

"I express my strong regret over the fact that the UN secretary-general has taken a very deplorable attitude, oblivious of the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and its proper mission, which is to maintain impartiality, objectivity and equity in all matters," Yonhap cited KCNA for quoting Choe Son-hui.

"We recently warned the UN secretary-general to consider the issue of the Korean peninsula on the basis of impartiality and objectivity," she added.

Earlier on Friday, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General in a statement said that Antonio Guterres "strongly condemns" North Korea's launch of another ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Guterres reiterated his call on Pyangyong to stop taking any further "provocative actions" and fully follow international obligations and take measure. He called on North Korea to take measures to resume dialogue for sustainable peace and denuclearization of Korean Peninsula.

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns the launch of yet another ballistic missile of intercontinental range by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," Farhan Haq said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General reiterates his calls on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to immediately desist from taking any further provocative actions, to fully comply with its international obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions, and to take immediate steps to resume dialogue leading to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he added.