New York-Sana
The DPRK has stressed that it will not stand idly by against any attempt by the UN Security Council to provoke a debate on the issue of its "self-defense measures."
"The raising of this issue will strengthen our desire to defend our sovereignty," Kim Sung, the DPRK's permanent representative to the United Nations, was quoted as saying.
Britain, France and Germany called a closed-door UN Security Council meeting later on Tuesday to discuss the DPRK's test of a ballistic missile last week, claiming it was a "serious violation" of UN resolutions.
Song called on Britain, France and Germany to consider the timing of their move, stressing that these countries should "realize that we will never stand idly by in any attempt to discuss our defense measures."
Last Thursday, the DPRK successfully launched a new Bokgukseong-3 missile from a submarine off Wonsan Bay on the country's eastern sea.
Pyongyang asserts that everything it does is in the context of self-defense in the face of open hostile US threats.