North Korea, in the first speech at the U.N. General Assembly in 15 years by its foreign minister, defended its nuclear development on Saturday, saying the program is necessary to counter a hostile U.S. policy.
Ri Su Yong, North Korea's foreign minister, also criticized the U.N. Security Council for rejecting a proposal to discuss what it saw as a threat from U.S. military maneuvers. There was no mention of issues related to Japan in his 15-plus minute speech at the U.N. General Assembly.
"The nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula is a matter of sovereignty and right to life of a U.N. member state before peace and security," Ri said.