Statement by Director of Press, Institute for American Studies of DPRK FM

Pyongyang, February 15 (KCNA) -- The director of the press of the Institute for American Studies of the DPRK Foreign Ministry made public the following statement on Thursday:

The United States is again kicking up a defamation campaign against the DPRK, intentionally attributing Warmbier's death to the latter.

Obviously, Warmbier is a criminal who was sentenced to reform through labor on March 16, 2016 under the relevant DPRK law on a charge of anti-DPRK hostile acts committed under an instruction from U.S. agency engaged in anti-DPRK plot.

It is none other than the present U.S. administration that has an answer to the reason why Warmbier suddenly died less than one week after his return to U.S. in normal physical condition.

In this regard, it is worth reminding of one incident that Hunziker, an American citizen who illegally entered the DPRK territory on August 24, 1996 and returned home on November 27 same year in good health, thanks to our humanitarian measure, accompanied by Bill Richardson, the then U.S. House representative, died less than one month after his return. At that time, U.S. completely ignored and mentioned no word at all of his death.

Though Warmbier was a criminal who committed hostile acts against the DPRK, we took the measure, pursuant to the decision of the Central Court dated June 13, 2017, of allowing him to return home from humanitarian point of view, in consideration of repeated requests from the current U.S. administration and his bad health.

Nonetheless, Trump group is kicking up a fuss of denunciation against the DPRK, intentionally linking Warmbier's death to the latter. It is a manifestation of crafty intention aimed at making justification for tarnishing our international image, stirring up an international pressure and vindicating its attempt to stifle us by force, as Trump group is terrified at the strength of the DPRK that has made a dignified rise to the status of strategic state.

It is not accidental that there is an assessment coming from U.S. that the present administration's increased move of taking up the DPRK's "human rights" issue amounts to an attempt for "regime change".

Trump group is even resorting to ridiculous action of dragging those human scum, who committed crimes of treason against the nation and fled to south Korea, into anti-DPRK plot. But, it only highlights how much U.S. fears the DPRK.

The disgraceful moves of Trump group teach us that any humanitarian approach or leniency towards U.S. is a total taboo, and our determination grows stronger to further sharpen the blade of law.

U.S. would be well advised to mind its own miserable human rights record full of all social disturbances and bloody tragic events caused by Trump's unbridled remarks of advocating for white supremacy and racism, which are subject to international curse and denunciation.

U.S. should demonstrate prudence and self-restraint, bearing in mind that it shall pay a high price for all consequences to follow in case it continues to stick to anti-DPRK plot, groundlessly pointing a finger at the alleged DPRK's "human rights" issue. -0-