The head of the delegation of the DPRK said this at the 16th ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum held in Thailand on July 23.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the foundation of the ARF, he noted, adding that it has clearly demonstrated its vitality in this period.

The ARF has traversed the road of meaningful development as it observed the principle of respect for sovereignty and equality, he pointed out, and continued:

It is the Cold War-minded logic lingering on the peninsula to assert that anyone having different ideology and social system is liable to become an object of enmity and strangulation. The tense situation prevailing on the peninsula is arousing serious apprehension inside and outside Korea.

Noting that what is important for seeking ways for settling the situation is to have correct understanding of the nature and root cause of the situation, he clarified some points related to this.

The situation prevailing on the peninsula goes to prove that the United Nations Security Council not only lacks democracy but has gone beyond the tolerance limit in the application of double standards and in the aspect of partiality and in acting a servant for those perpetrating high-handed practices, the speaker noted, and went on:

The DPRK's nuclear deterrent is by no means a lever for invading or threatening others but war deterrent for protecting the peace and security on the peninsula in the true sense of the word.

He expressed hope that the members of the ARF would have proper understanding of the nature and root cause of the peculiar situation on the peninsula and invariably adhere to the objective and principle laid down by it 15 years back.