DPRK Says it Has Right to Develop, Deploy Missile: KCNA

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, April 05, 2003

DPRK Says it Has Right to Develop, Deploy Missile: KCNA

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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Friday that it has the right to produce and deploy missiles for self defense, as well as to export them to other countries within the framework of normal military cooperation and exchanges.

"We are an independent sovereign state that is not bound by any law from exporting missiles and technology," as the DPRK does not join any missile technology control regime, said a commentary of DPRK's official news agency, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The commentary was in response to a Wednesday announcement madeby the United States State Department, which for the first time explicitly accused the DPRK of exporting missile technology to Pakistan.

A US State Department spokesman said because of the alleged DPRK-Pakistani deal, which he admitted had not yet been confirmed, the US government imposed, on March 24, two-year penalties on the DPRK missile-development company and Pakistani nuclear-development company involved, including ban on transactions with the US government or businesses.

"This is nothing but a ridiculous and unjustifiable action" as part of Washington's trick to charge the DPRK with missile proliferation and nuclear development, and to put it under the international pressure, said the commentary.

The DPRK has "indisputable" rights to "produce and deploy missiles to protect its sovereignty and supreme interests and export them to other countries within the framework of normal military cooperation and exchanges," it stressed.

The DPRK's missile program is of strictly peaceful and defensive nature posing no threat to those countries who respect its sovereignty, it added.

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