N. Korea condemns Rubio's 'rogue state' remarks in its 1st criticism against Trump gov't

▲ U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as he meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya at the State Department in Washington on Jan. 21, 2025 in this file photo released by Reuters. (Yonhap)

N Korea-US

N. Korea condemns Rubio's 'rogue state' remarks in its 1st criticism against Trump gov't

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Monday it will take powerful counteraction against the United States calling Pyongyang a "rogue state," issuing its first public criticism against the Trump administration.

A spokesperson at North Korea's foreign ministry issued the statement, saying that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a media interview that he termed North Korea as a rogue state while enumerating Washington's foreign policy under Trump administration.

North Korea condemned Rubio's remarks as a "grave political provocation" that is aimed at tarnishing the image of a sovereign state, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"The hostile words and deeds of the person who is in charge of the U.S. foreign policy served as an occasion of confirming once again the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK which remains unchanged," the spokesperson said, using the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"We will never tolerate any provocation of the U.S., which has been always hostile to the DPRK and will be hostile to it in the future, too, but will take tough counteraction corresponding to it as usual."

It marked North Korea's known first public criticism against the new U.S. administration since Trump returned to the White House last month.

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