Pyongyang: Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, criticized the United Nations on Saturday for its disapproval of North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, reiterating Pyongyang’s commitment to advancing its nuclear weapons program. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier condemned the launch of the Hwasong-19 ICBM, labeling it a breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Yo-jong, who serves as the vice department director of the Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, conveyed her “strong dissatisfaction” with Guterres’ comments, describing them as “unfair and prejudiced.” This statement was reported by the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday. She criticized nations she considered “hostile” towards North Korea for forming a nuclear-based military coalition, questioning whether the U.N. Secretary-General believes peace on the Korean peninsula can be achieved if North Korea shows restr
aint.

Kim further reinforced her brother’s position of unwavering commitment to strengthening North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. She remarked, “Have sanction, pressure and threats stopped us? They have only made us stronger,” emphasizing North Korea’s resolve against any threats to its national security.

In a separate KCNA-reported statement, North Korea’s foreign ministry objected to the U.N. Security Council’s plan to convene on Monday regarding the ICBM launch. The ministry accused “hostile forces” of exacerbating tensions against North Korea by employing “illegal double standards,” and criticized the meeting as a breach of the U.N. Charter and a “grave challenge” to global peace and security.

The foreign ministry warned, “The more provocative act the hostile forces take in defiance of the DPRK’s grave warning, the stronger counteraction they will face,” using the acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.