North Korea on Monday slammed US national security adviser John Bolton for claiming that recent North Korean missile tests “no doubt” violated United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and reiterating that the US government should not lift sanctions on Pyongyang.
In a statement quoted on state media, North Korea’s foreign ministry said that “demanding us to ban all launches using ballistic technology regardless of range is same with asking us to relinquish our rights for self-defence.” The statement also described Bolton as “an adviser for security destruction who destroys peace and security,” and as a “defective human product.”
Tensions between the US and North Korea have increased since the collapse of a February nuclear summit attended by Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jung-un. Trump has said that he walked away from the summit because the North Korean delegation demanded that the US lift all sanctions on the regime. However, North Korea later denied that it had asked for full sanctions relief.
Read more: North Korea slams ‘warmonger’ Bolton over missile tests comment