DPRK blasts Clinton's remarks

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday criticized US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks on its human rights record.

A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry slammed Clinton's recent remarks over the country's human rights record and people's life as "reckless," according to the official KCNA news agency.

"The US attempt to meddle in the DPRK's internal affairs is ridiculous," the spokesman was quoted as saying.

He urged Clinton to pay more attention to the issues of economic crisis and a huge number of jobless people in her own country, instead of "imprudently" talking about the DPRK's internal affairs.

The spokesman also said the DPRK will make unremitting efforts to bolster its nuclear deterrent as long as Washington antagonizes Pyongyang.

Foreign and defense ministers of the United States and South Korea on Thursday urged Pyongyang to end its "provocative behavior," saying a path for the North to "rejoin the international community" remains open.

While addressing a joint press conference after the so-called "Two plus Two" meeting in Washington on Thursday, Clinton urged the DPRK to "put the welfare of its own people first and respect the rights of its own citizens."