DPRK slams Bolton's missile comments 'more than ignorant'

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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) sharply criticized U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton on Monday, calling him a "war maniac" and a "security destruction advisor" that should be gone as early as possible, reported Yonhap, citing a DPRK foreign ministry's statement on Monday.

Bolton said Saturday that DPRK's recent missile launches a violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Earlier in May, the DPRK fired several projectiles which were later characterized as short-range missiles by the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The DPRK refuted Bolton's remarks, stressing that giving up missile tests would mean giving up the right to self-defense, said a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman, adding that Bolton's claim is "much more than ignorant."

DPRK military conducts a 'strike drill' for multiple launchers and tactical guided weapons into the East Sea during a military drill in the DPRK, May 4, 2019, photo supplied by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). /Reuters Photo

"Our military exercises did not aim at anybody, nor did it put anybody in danger, but Bolton surely has a different mindset from ordinary people in insisting that they are a violation of the resolutions," the spokesperson said.

“It is not at all strange that perverse words always come out from the mouth of a structurally defective guy,” he added.

The DPRK said Friday that its negotiations with the U.S. "will never resume" unless the U.S. adopts a "new method of calculation," blaming Washington for the collapse of the February summit.

Regarding DPRK's statement, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was confident that Kim Jong Un would keep promises that he had made. He also played down the missile tests, saying they were "small weapons" and therefore not a breach of trust.

(With inputs from agencies)

(Cover: National Security Advisor John Bolton in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 19, 2019. /VCG Photo)