November 6, 2003	Thursday	Ramazan 10, 1424

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UNITED NATIONS, Nov 5: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) on Tuesday lambasted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and accused it of being a tool of the United States and voted against a resolution backing the agency.

In turn, DPRK’s envoy Kim Chang Guk was taken to task by the General Assembly President Julian Hunte for making racist and derogatory remarks against Japan during a debate on Tuesday.

The General Assembly resolution backing the annual report of the IAEA, which was presented on Monday by its Director-General Mohammed ElBaradei, was approved by 129-1 votes. It is not legally binding but reflects the support of the international community.

North Korea’s deputy ambassador Kim Chang Guk objected to a reference in the resolution to DPRK’s implementation of an agreement with the IAEA to safeguard nuclear material as “totally irrelevant.” He denied US claims that North Korea had ever admitted its uranium enrichment programme, and he called an ongoing nuclear standoff the product of a “US hostile policy” toward his country.

The United States has been embroiled in a nuclear dispute with North Korea since Oct 2002, when US officials said the North Korea admitted it had a clandestine nuclear programme in violation of a 1994 agreement with Washington.

“IAEA claims that DPRK violates international agreements clearly proves that the IAEA serves as a tool of the United States,” Mr Kim said.

The two-day General Assembly debate on the IAEA wound up as China called for the urgent resumption of six-nation talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme in Beijing. The first round of talks, in August, brought together the United States, China, the two Koreas, Japan and Russia.

Mr Kim attacked Japan for referring to his country as North Korea instead of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or the DPRK.

Mr Kim said that showed “sinister political ulterior intention and disdain on my country... The Japs are now turning the whole society to (the) right to resurrect militarism and fascism with a view to reinvade Korea.”

The derogatory reference to Japan drew a rare rebuke from General Assembly President Julian Hunte.

Mr Hunte then called for the vote and immediately afterward Mr Kim walked out of the General Assembly chamber before Japan’s deputy UN ambassador Yoshiyuki Motomura had a chance to reply.

Motomura explained that Japan used North Korea and South Korea as “a geographical concept,” and no offence was intended.

“But actually “Jap” in the English sense is regarded as a derogatory terminology which I’d like to ask the delegate from the DPRK to change,” the Japanese envoy said.

Mr Hunte asked Mr Kim to desist from using this kind of language in this honourable house.