Press Statement by Ri Sang Rim, Chairman of Korea-Europe Association

 

Recently, the EU issued “statements” denouncing our righteous self- defensive measures for increasing national defense capability as a “threat to the global peace and security”.

We flatly denounce and reject this as this is a flagrant infringement upon our sovereignty and an intolerable act of interfering into the internal affairs of our country.

As was mentioned many times, our measures for increasing national defense capability do not cause any threat or harm to the neighboring countries and the region. This applies much more in case of Europe.

Notwithstanding this, the EU recklessly picked on the sovereign state in the exercise of its right to self-defense, jumping on the bandwagon of the U.S. in its anachronistic hostile policy against the DPRK. This is a concentrated expression of double standard of the EU as well as its total ignorance of the substance of the issue of the Korean peninsula.

This clearly proves that the “strategic independence” chanted so often by the EU is nothing but rhetoric for covering up its blind servitude and flattery to the U.S.

Now, the international society is raising its voice that U.S., a direct party to the issue of the Korean peninsula should get into its real action in order to stop the vicious cycle of aggravated tension.

It is none other than the U.S. which has conducted hundreds of joint military drills against the DPRK in the last 4 years since the Singapore DPRK-U.S. summit where it committed itself to suspend them. It is again the U.S. who is seriously threatening the security of our state by deploying

 

in south Korea ultramodern means of attack and frequently bringing in nuclear strategic assets into the vicinity of the Korean peninsula.

The U.S. is now trumpeting about “diplomatic engagement” and “dialogue without preconditions”. But this is no more than a smokescreen to deceive the world and conceal its hostile acts, and it is nothing but continuation of hostile policy pursued by the successive U.S. administrations.

The EU should look at the reality squarely and lose no time in sloughing off its misunderstanding, biased view and double-dealing attitude towards us, and address all the issues from the objective and impartial standpoint.

The EU would also be well-advised to stop its reckless acts to kick up a racket against the DPRK over the issue of “human rights” based on groundless fabrications, following in footsteps of the U.S. in its hostile policy.

If the EU persists in its act of confrontation against the DPRK, becoming a puppet dancing to the tune of the U.S., it will inevitably incur a strong reaction for us.

The EU had better be careful in its words and deeds before the international society if it wants to keep its face as an “independent pole”.

February 10, Juche 111(2022) Pyongyang