Present at the meeting were Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian and Malaysian ambassadors to the DPRK and charges d'affaires ad interim of the Mongolian, Indonesian, Iranian, Indian and Pakistani embassies here.

Choe Hui Chol, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Department of the ministry, clarified the principled stand on the above-said presidential statement adopted at ASEM.

He recalled that the situation on the Korean peninsula and in the rest of Northeast Asia is inching close to the brink of a war owing to the U.S. ceaseless introduction of strategic assets including the decision to deploy THAAD in south Korea and the entry of the nuclear-powered submarine Ohio into Pusan Port. However, the adoption of the presidential statement is the reckless action of seriously distorting the reality and following the U.S. extreme hostile policy toward the DPRK, Choe said, and went on:

Some regional countries still have wrong views that the DPRK's nuclear deterrence for self-defence is the root cause of escalating tensions on the peninsula and the problem can be solved only when the DPRK exercises "self-restraint."

Guaranteeing peace on the peninsula is a vital and pressing issue for the DPRK as it is directing all efforts to economic development for building a powerful socialist country. However, such heinous hostile policy of the U.S. toward the DPRK as malignantly hurting even the dignity of its supreme leadership compels it to take a series of multi-phase measures to bolster up its nuclear deterrent. The DPRK will as ever take physical measures to protect its sovereignty and vital rights on a routine basis.

Choe called on Asian countries to face up to the essence of the present situation and do things helpful to ensuring peace and stability on the peninsula, neither reading others' faces nor dancing to the tune of someone, at the ASEAN regional ministerial conference to be held in Laos.

Diplomatic envoys of Asian countries expressed deep concern over the situation on the peninsula being pushed to the uncontrollable phase owing to the U.S. moves to bolster up its strategic assets and heinous hostile policy toward the DPRK and shared the view that sticking to the fair stand as regards the Korean peninsula issue would be helpful to its settlement.