US/North Korea/Myanmar

North Korea bites back at Clinton

Article published on the 2009-07-23 Latest update 2009-07-23 11:39 TU

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at ARF in Thailand
(Photo: Reuters)

A North Korea ministry spokesman personally attacked US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday after her speech on disarming their nuclear program, calling her not intelligent and "a funny lady," as was quoted by North Korea's state news agency. He called her speech to Asia's largest security forum in Phuket, Thailand "a spate of vulgar remarks unbecoming for her position everywhere she went since she was sworn in."

The spokesman also attacked her personal appearance, adding, "sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping."

Clinton had offered the reclusive country a package of incentives at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF) in Phuket, Thailand but warned that Pyongyang would be isolated if their nuclear testing continued.

Clinton said that "significant energy and economic assistance" would be offered in return for a complete halt to North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. She had met with Russia, Japan, South Korea and China on Wednesday to speak about the matter.

But Kim Jong-Il's admininstration would not be given incentives "just for returning to the table," she said. North Korea has reneged on its disarmament commitments in the past.

The key steps required for economic help would be to dismantle the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and give up its plutonium stockpile.

Clinton also spoke to the forum on the possible ties North Korea may have with the Myanmar junta after a US Navy destroyer began tracking a North Korean ship reportedly heading for Mynamar.

"Concerns are being expressed about cooperation between North Korea and Burma (Myanmar) in the pursuit of offensive weapons, perhaps even including nuclear weapons at some point," she said.

US officials spoke to Myanmar officials in a rare meeting on the sidelines of the conference last night. Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win pledged that his country would obey UN sanctions.

North Korea had been a part of the 'six-party' negotiations earlier this year, but angrily left after the UN Security Council censured it for reportedly conducting a long-range rocket test launch last April. It went further by resuming weapons testing the next month.

The UN Security Council then put out a resolution, increasing the arms embargo against North Korea and placing more cargo inspections on goods being exported and imported.

US Congress on Wednesday put pressure on the Obama administration by calling North Korea a "threat" and urging it to put North Korea on the blacklist once again.