North Korea is asking the U.N Security Council to hold an urgent session to discuss upcoming U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises that Pyongyang described on Friday as a threat to peace.Deputy representative Ri Tong Il told news hounds that the top world body had not responded to the request contained in a July 21 letter, and vowed North Korea will keep up missile launches in response to the planned war games.
"They are disregarding us. We cannot accept this," Ri told news hounds.
"If the U.N. Security Council turns away from this request for an emergency meeting, it will only expose itself as a U.N. body that has lost its principles, lost impartiality and lost its mandate of peace and security."
The annual Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercise, aimed at testing combat readiness for a North Korean invasion, is scheduled to begin August 18.
Although largely played out on computers, it involves tens of thousands of South Korean and U.S. troops.
North Korea's U.N. envoy said his country would keep up rocket and artillery launches, which he described as "more than justifiable" to counter the threat posed by the joint exercises.
"Ongoing tactical rocket launches of all different types of artillery fire are being conducted by the DPRK," said Ri.