The statement said:

The 11th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit held on July 16 made public a presidential statement terming the DPRK's bolstering of nuclear deterrent a violation of UNSC "resolutions" and a threat to the regional and global peace and security.

The spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry strongly condemned it.

The so-called presidential statement which found fault with the DPRK was made public owing to the U.S. interference in the ASEM summit.

The ASEM summit followed the U.S. sinister intention, far from independently and impartially analyzing the prevailing situation on the Korean peninsula.

The U.S. decided to deploy THAAD in south Korea, not content with introducing the strategic nuclear strike means such as nuclear submarines and formations of strategic bombers.

It also hurt the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK.

It is legitimate and just for the DPRK to bolster up its nuclear deterrent both in quality and quantity and its efforts will continue.