North Korean Ambassador to Iran: We Will Continue to Bolster Nuclear Deterrence as Long as U.S. Threats Continue

In what Iran's Press TV described as an "interview," Kang Sam Hyon, North Korea's ambassador to Iran said that "as long as the U.S. nuclear threats continue, [North Korea] will keep strengthening its deterrence with the nuclear force as a pillar." Reading from a prepared statement, which was translated into English voice-over, the ambassador called the U.S. the "kingpin of terrorism and chieftain of plot," and said that the CIA and the South Korean Intelligence Service were a "hotbed of evils in the world." The statements aired on May 18.

Interviewer: Mr. Ambassador, thank you for joining us, I know that you have prepared a statement to make. We are ready to listen to you. Thank you.

Kang Sam Hyon: The CIA of the U.S. and the Intelligence Service of South Korea, hotbed of evils in the world, hotbed of evils in the world, hatched a vicious plot to hurt the Supreme Leadership of the DPRK, and those acts have been put into an extremely serious phase of implementation, after crossing the threshold of the DPRK. A hideous terrorist group, which the CIA and the Intelligence Service infiltrated into the DPRK, after careful preparations to commit state-sponsored terrorism against the Supreme Leadership of the DPRK by use of biochemical substance has been recently detected.

The murderous demons of the Intelligence Service, who conspired with the CIA, ideologically corrupted and bribed a DPRK citizen surnamed Kim, the then worker of the timber industrial branch in the Khabarovsk Territory of Russia in June 2014, and trained him into a terrorist, full of repugnance and revenge against the Supreme Leadership of the DPRK. They hatched a plot of letting human scum Kim commit bomb terrorism, targeting the Supreme Leadership during events at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, and at a military parade and public procession after his return home. They told him that the hardware supplies and funds needed for committing terrorism against the Supreme Leadership would be completely provided by the Intelligence Service. Then they handed him over 20,000 US dollars on two occasions, and a satellite transmitter-receiver, and let him get versed in it.

As regards to facts, the DPRK Ministry of State Security clarifies as follows: First, we will ferret out and mercilessly destroy, to the last one, the terrorists of the U.S. CIA and the puppet Intelligence Service of South Korea, targeting the dignity of the DPRK Supreme Leadership. The recent case was the most vicious challenge and the declaration of a war aimed to hurt the mental mainstay that all the Korean people absolutely trust and repose, and to eclipse the eternal sun of the DPRK. It is the fixed will of the army and people of the DPRK that they can never tolerate even dreaming about such a crime. Criminals going hellbent to realize such a pipe dream cannot survive on this land even a moment. This is a stern punishment made on behalf of the human conscience, and in the name of all Koreans.

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All the countries and peoples of the world that value justice and peace should resolutely turn out in the sacred struggle to terminate the hideous terrorist act committed by the U.S., kingpin of terrorism and chieftain of plot, and the South Korean puppet group of traitors. If they continue to make challenges in disregard of the DPRK's warning and common desire of humankind, they are bound to meet nothing but the most miserable end in history. We will ferret out and mercilessly destroy, to the last one, the terrorists of the U.S. CIA and the puppet Intelligence Service of South Korea, targeting the dignity of the DPRK Supreme Leadership. The Korean-style anti-terrorist attack will be commenced from this moment to sweep away the intelligence and plot-breeding organizations of the U.S. imperialists and the puppet clique, the most mean and brutal hideous terrorist group in the world.

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Interviewer: All right, Ambassador Kang, what do you think is the root cause of the tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and what are the ways to defuse this tension?

Kang Sam Hyon: The root cause is that the U.S. has persisted its hostile policy towards the DPRK for scores of years, and staged its annual joint military games with the South Korean army against the DPRK. In particular, the U.S. has threatened the DPRK with nukes for many years. That is why the DPRK side has bolstered the nuclear deterrence, in order to safeguard its system, sovereignty, and people. As long as the U.S. nuclear threats continue, it will keep strengthening its deterrence with the nuclear force as a pillar. In order to defuse the tension on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. must withdraw its forces from South Korea, stop its joint military games with South Korea, and conclude a peace agreement with the DPRK. I think the U.S. must stop its annual joint military games with South Korea.

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