North Korea slams Obama’s remarks at East Asia summit

Pyongyang, Sep 9 (IANS) North Korea on Thursday slammed the remarks made by US President Barack Obama at the 11th East Asia Summit about its ballistic missile launches and urged Washington to exercise "self-prudence."

Obama vowed on Tuesday to work with the United Nations to tighten sanctions against Pyongyang when he attended the meeting of the East Asian leaders, Xinhua news agency reported.

These remarks "are nothing but last-ditch efforts to dodge the criticism of the hostile policy toward the DPRK ... and give a further boost to the international atmosphere of pressure on the DPRK," a statement issued by a spokesman for the North Korea foreign ministry said.

"The only way of averting a war and defending peace in Korea is to increase in every way the military capabilities for self-defense with the nuclear deterrence as a pivot," said the statement.

The statement urged the US to exercise self-restraint and not to infringe on the sovereignty and dignity of North Korea.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned its Monday missile launches in a press statement and reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

On Monday, the North Korea fired three ballistic missiles into eastern waters. These launches are in grave violation of country's international obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions, said the UN press statement.