North Korea has sharply criticised the United States, accusing Washington of undermining the United Nations and committing what it described as “shameless” and “hideous criminal” acts, in a fresh escalation of tensions between the two long-standing adversaries.
In a statement released on Monday by its mission to the United Nations in New York and carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang condemned reported plans for a UN briefing on its alleged violations of international sanctions. The North Korean mission argued that such discussions were a distraction from what it said should be the UN’s real focus: the conduct of the United States.
“What should be questioned and openly discussed in the UN as the most important pending issue is the hideous criminal act of the US,” the statement said, accusing Washington of despising “the existence of the UN itself.”
While Pyongyang did not specify the alleged criminal act, the statement follows closely on the heels of the United States’ recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—an operation that North Korea is believed to view as a deeply troubling precedent. Analysts note that such an action feeds long-standing fears within the North Korean leadership of a potential US-led “decapitation strike” aimed at regime change.
The North Korean mission further accused Washington of abusing the UN system to advance its geopolitical interests, describing US actions as “irrational,” “illegal,” and “immoral.”
READ ALSO: North Korea Draws a Red Line Ahead of US–South Korea Military Drills
“Washington’s malpractice of abusing the UN arena to satisfy its geopolitical self-interest should never be allowed,” the statement added, claiming the US was attempting to turn the world body into a tool for “unilateral and selfish purposes.”
The latest remarks come amid broader strains between the US and the United Nations. President Donald Trump last week announced plans for the United States to withdraw from several UN organisations his administration described as running counter to American interests.
North Korea remains subject to extensive United Nations Security Council sanctions over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, measures strongly backed by Washington. The latest exchange underscores the deep mistrust and hostility that continue to define relations between Pyongyang and the United States.