DPRK says not to abort nuke program unless US ends hostility

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Saturday that nuclear deterrence of "Songun Korea", which puts military first, will never be given up unless the United States terminates its hostile policy and nuclear threat toward the DPRK.

In a statement issued by DPRK foreign ministry, a spokesman slammed senior U.S. officials' DPRK-related remarks, which "slandered the DPRK's line of simultaneously pushing forward economic development and building of nuclear force."

The statement criticized U.S. special representative for North Korea policy Glyn Davies and U.S. assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel for their comments on the DPRK nuclear program.

The DPRK was "compelled" to resort to nuclear weapons to cope with the U.S hostile policy, nuclear threat and attempts to stifle the DPRK, it stressed, adding that denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula will be meaningless as the United States has always intended to bring down the social system of the country.

As regards human rights, the statement reaffirmed its commitment to stepping up international cooperation for improving its human rights record, but said the DPRK will never tolerate any attempt to subvert its social system under the pretext of human rights issue.