The foreign ministry has reiterated that any launch by North Korea using ballistic missile technology is a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.

A ministry official said on Sunday that the international community strongly condemns the North’s launch of a military spy satellite, rejecting the North’s repeated claims that its launch was the country's legitimate and just right as a sovereign state.

Regarding Pyongyang’s claimed right to space development, the official said that the right is reserved only for countries that abide by international law and maintain global peace and security.

The official said that with the prohibited launches, the regime already failed to comply with the Security Council decisions under the UN Charter, as well as the Outer Space Treaty that stipulates the use and exploration of space for maintaining international peace and security.

The official also dismissed North Korea’s criticism that Seoul’s launch of its own spy satellite is a violation of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, stressing that it is a justifiable measure that complies with the standards and does not pose a threat to international peace and security.

The official said that it is clear which side is causing instability on the Korean Peninsula by continuing with nuclear and missile development and provocations and threatening nuclear attacks.

The official then urged the North to immediately stop making false accusations and provocations against South Korea’s legitimate actions and to return to the path of denuclearization.

[Photo : YONHAP News]