The permanent representative of the DPRK at the UN said this at a press conference at the UN Headquarters on June 21.

Noting that upcoming July 27 marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement (AA), he said:

The U.S. is holding on to the truce, defying the consistent stand and efforts of the DPRK's government for replacing the AA by a peace treaty.

It seeks to use the "UN Forces Command" as a tool for a war against the DPRK, pursuant to its own defense strategy.

The representative explained how the command was established, disclosing its essence. He added:

It is the U.S. government, not the UN which has the authority to appoint the commander of the "UN Forces" in south Korea and it is again the U.S. government which has the decision-making power over the issues of reduction or beef-up of U.S. troops in south Korea which go under the helmet of the "UN Forces".

After all, the U.S. has put its forces command in south Korea under the UN helmet by abusing the resolution of the UN Security Council. It is an ignominy of the UN that the U.S., a belligerent party of the Korean War, is still abusing the name of the "UN Forces Command", a product of anachronism.

Due to the U.S., the truce mechanism was systematically broken and totally nullified at last and other mechanism which the "UN Forces Command" can have dealing with had already become defunct. Under this situation the command should be dismantled without delay.

The "UN Forces Command" is a trash of the era the dismantlement of which had already been decided by the UN General Assembly.

The representative answered the questions raised by reporters.

Present there were media persons of China, the U.S., Japan and Europe and correspondents of various countries residing at the UN.