North Korea denounces EU’s ‘psychotic way of thinking’ after sanctions

“It seems that an inveterate repugnancy coupled with a psychotic way of thinking has completely degenerated the EU into looking at all matters and phenomena upside down,” a spokesperson for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying on Tuesday in response to a question by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The spokesperson said the EU was under the delusion that it can promote human rights despite the incurable trends of racism, racial discrimination, child abuse, and xenophobia prevalent within the bloc.

“It constitutes a part of the stereo-typed policy hostile to the DPRK and a despicable political provocation aimed at infringing upon its sovereignty and interfering in its internal affairs,” the spokesperson said, using the abbreviation for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The spokesperson said the sanctions were a “sinister political tool” and “an evil legislation contrived to put pressure on those countries that do not kowtow to EU.”

The European Council said on Monday that it would impose sanctions against 11 individuals and four entities in six countries — North Korea, China, Russia, Libya, Eritrea, and South Sudan — for alleged human rights violations.

Those targeted in North Korea were State Security Minister Jong Kyong-thaek, Public Security Minister Ri Yong-gil and the Central Public Prosecutors Office.

North Korea advised the EU to think of renaming itself the “United States of EU and America,” and not painfully struggle to highlight its “independent character.”

Pyongyang warned Brussels that sticking to anti-North Korea policies would have dire consequences.

Meanwhile, North Korea fired two short-range missiles at the weekend, US and South Korean officials said, but Washington played down the first such tests under President Joe Biden and said it was still open to dialog with Pyongyang.

Jenny Town, director of the 38 North, a US-based website that monitors North Korea, said the latest action appeared “pretty mild.”

“My guess is that it has more to do with the joint exercises than anything else,” she said, referring to the joint exercises by the US and South Korea.

The military exercises have been scaled back this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The US and its allies are opposed to the North Korean missile and nuclear programs.