North Korea said on Thursday the United States has no standing to comment on inter-Korean affairs, and it is in Washington’s interest to stay quiet if it wants the upcoming presidential election to go smoothly, state media reported.
The statement comes after the US State Department said it was disappointed at North Korea for suspending communication hotlines with South Korea on Tuesday.
“If the US pokes its nose into others’ affairs with careless remarks, far from minding its internal affairs, at a time when its political situation is in the worst-ever confusion, it may encounter an unpleasant thing hard to deal with,” Kwon Jong Gun, director-general for US affairs at North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, said in comments carried by state news agency KCNA.
The United States should “hold its tongue” and address its own domestic problems unless it wants to “experience a hair-raiser”, he said.
“It would be good not only for the US interests, but also for the easy holding of upcoming presidential election.”