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North Korea said Thursday its missile launches the previous day were part of routine military drills to improve its defense capabilities. It said it would continue test-firing missiles.
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry dismissed accusations that the North heightened tension in Northeast Asia and jeopardized six-party talks on its nuclear program with the launches. The comments were the North¡¯s first official comment since the launches on Wednesday brought worldwide condemnation. Pyongyang did not insist on its earlier claim that it was going to launch a satellite.
The spokesman said the North, as a sovereign state, had every right to fire missiles and did not violate international law, the Japan-North Korea Joint Declaration and a statement of principles made at the six-party talks in September. He warned Pyongyang would take strong action if anyone took issue with the missile launches and pressured the country.
The spokesman said the missile launches had no bearing on the six-way talks, and Pyongyang was still committed to achieving denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and negotiations.
The North also dismissed descriptions of the missile launches as a provocation based on the lack of prior notice. The spokesman said it would be foolish for North Korea to give prior notice of a missile launch when the U.S was warning it would attack if the North fired them.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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