Statement of Director of Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children of DPRK

Pyongyang, April 6 (KCNA) -- The director of the Research Institute for Nutrition Care of Children under the Academy of Medical Science of the DPRK Ministry of Public Health released the following statement on Tuesday:

I was extremely astonished and angered at the foreign media news seriously distorting the state of health of the children in our country.

According to the news, a "report" published by a UN experts' group contains such groundless information that many children suffering from malnutrition in our country cannot receive proper treatment due to the state emergency anti-epidemic measures taken to check the inroads of COVID-19.

I, as a person responsible for nutrition care of the children in our country, categorically reject this information, affirming that it, a sheer lie, is utterly baseless.

In our country nutrition care of children is deemed a top priority affair though it is in hardship and everything is insufficient.

But those styling themselves experts under the berets of UN are distorting the situation of our country to give impression that serious "malnutrition of children" exists in our country. This cannot but be viewed as a black-hearted act of hostility to tarnish the image of our country.

I vehemently denounce the hostile forces for abusing even the name of naive children, which should be respected as the most sacred one, for attaining their political purposes.

No matter how desperately the hostile forces may work, they can never write off the bright and happy looks of our children.

Taking this opportunity, I warn the quasi-media of south Korea taking the lead in the anti-DPRK smear campaign by echoing rubbish-like information no one lends ear to.

No matter by whom they were instigated and whatever the reason, they are bound to commit an unpardonable deadly sin against posterity if they seek to incite north-south confrontation by finding fault with even gullible children.

In my opinion, it is necessary to seriously examine whether "humanitarian cooperation" under the signboard of UN and NGOs would truly help us and to take resolute countermeasures against the entity and organizations going about in cahoots with the hostile forces.

Our state takes the whole responsibility for the health and future of our children. -0-