DPRK Rejects UNSC's Act to Violate DPRK's Legitimate Right to Launch
Satellite

http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2012/201204/news17/20120417-25ee.html

Pyongyang, April 17

The DPRK Foreign Ministry Tuesday issued the following statement:

The U.S. and its followers committed a hostile act of violating the
DPRK's right to satellite launch by abusing the United Nations
Security Council again.

On April 16 the UNSC issued a statement of its chairman "condemning"
the DPRK's satellite launch for peaceful purposes.

The DPRK took steps to show the sincerity and transparency of the
satellite launch for peaceful purposes to the maximum from A to Z as
an exception and aroused sympathy of broad world public.

The U.S., finding it hard to conceal the truth, after hatching all
sorts of dastardly trick to prevent the peaceful nature of the DPRK's
satellite launch from being confirmed objectively and persistently
term it a long-range missile launch, imposed upon the UNSC its
brigandish demand that the DPRK should not be allowed to launch even a
satellite for peaceful purposes.

The UNSC has been abused under the pressure of high-handed and
arbitrary practices of the U.S. and its catastrophic consequences have
been felt still today in various parts of the world.

UNSC resolutions 1718 and 1874 which the hostile forces regard as the
"ground" to take issue with the DPRK's satellite launch are a product
of their high-handed policy for antagonizing and oppressing the DPRK
and the height of illegality they faked up at random, disregarding
even universally accepted international law.

It is the brigandish essence of these resolutions that those countries
which refuse to meekly obey the U.S. should not be allowed to develop
their national defence capability and to this end they should be
deprived of even their right to launch satellites for peaceful
purposes.

Such unreasonable double standards are possible at the UNSC because
such standards are in line with the interests of those countries keen
to monopolize such cutting-edge technology as satellite launch.

The present developments clearly show that the principle of equality
as regards sovereignty clarified in the UN Charter is a mere high-
sounding word and justice should be protected by one's own efforts.

The DPRK Foreign Ministry declares as follows in connection with the
grave infringement upon the right of the sovereign state to launch
satellites for peaceful purposes:

Firstly, we resolutely and totally reject the unreasonable behavior of
the UNSC to violate the DPRK's legitimate right to launch satellites.
It is the unshakable principle of the army and people of the DPRK not
to tolerate even the slightest element to deride and encroach upon the
dignity of the nation and the sovereignty of the country.

Secondly, we will continue exercising the independent right to use
space recognized by the universally accepted international laws which
are above the UNSC resolutions.

We will expand and strengthen space development institutions and
continue launching a variety of working satellites needed for economic
development of the country including geostationary satellites under
the state plan for space development.

Nothing can stand in the way of the DPRK's space development for
peaceful purposes.

Thirdly, as the U.S. violated the Feb. 29 DPRK-U.S. agreement through
its undisguised hostile acts, we will no longer be bound to it.

We have repeatedly clarified from the outset that we will sincerely
implement the Feb. 29 agreement to the last and took practical steps
to implement it as the satellite launch for peaceful purposes is an
issue quite different from the agreement.

No sooner had the DPRK's plan for satellite launch been announced than
the U.S. suspended the process for the provision of food pursuant to
the DPRK-U.S. agreement under that pretext. This time, the U.S.
spearheaded the hostile act of encroaching upon the DPRK's legitimate
right to launch satellites by abusing the position as chairman of the
UNSC.

The U.S. finally reneged on its promise that "it respects the
sovereignty of the DPRK and has no hostile intent toward it" in
practice, totally violating the Feb. 29 agreement.

We have thus become able to take necessary retaliatory measures, free
from the agreement. The U.S. will be held wholly accountable for all
the ensuing consequences.

Peace is very dear for us but the dignity of the nation and the
sovereignty of the country are dearer for us.