The US Talks About Nuclear Program, North Korea: We Will Not Tolerate Accusations Without Reason

North Korea's Hwasong-17 ICBM missile test (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korea warned it would "never tolerate" US criticism of its nuclear program, calling Washington a nuclear proliferation carriage and saying it would not allow any violation of its sovereign rights.

North Korea has conducted missile tests at unprecedented speed this year and international experts believe they are preparing for a seventh nuclear test, the first since 2017.

North Korea's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) issued the statement on Wednesday, as diplomats gathered in New York for a month-long UN conference to review the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the meeting North Korea "continues to expand its unlawful nuclear program" and "is preparing to conduct its seventh nuclear test."

"This is the culmination of a flurry of blame that the United States accuses of 'nuclear threats' to someone, given the fact they are the kingpins of nuclear proliferation," North Korea said in the statement, citing Reuters,August 4.

North Korea also said it had withdrawn from the non-proliferation treaty long ago, so no one has the right to violate the country's right to self-defense.

"We will never tolerate any attempt by the US and its slave forces to accuse our country without reason and violate our sovereign rights and national interests," North Korea said.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country was ready to increase the deterrence effect of its nuclear war for any military clash with the United States.