TOKYO (AFP) Overshadowing Japan and North Korea s latest bid to end their animosity, Pyongyang Aug. 21 launched a blistering attack on a Japanese newspapers "reptile and deceptive" view of the Stalinist state.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) assailed the conservative Sankei Shimbun as North Korean delegates were due to arrive in Tokyo for rapprochement talks from Aug. 21 to Aug. 24.
The "Sankei Shimbun s commentary does not deserve even a passing note as it is nothing but outbursts let loose by those who are much upset by the ever growing might of the DPRK (North Korea)," said KCNA, North Koreas mouthpiece.
The paper s critical stance in editorials since a historic inter-Korean summit in June was also "a foolish and despicable attempt to put a brake on the process for improving the DPRK-Japan relations," the agency said.
The newspaper had often predicted the collapse of North Korea, beset by famine and natural disasters since the Cold War ended.
"On the contrary, the international dignity of the DPRK as a member of the international community is rapidly rising and striding across the world as admitted by the group of hack writers of (the) Sankei Shimbun."
It was "a reptile and deceptive paper, (which) ignores truth and spreads false stories," KCNA added.
The vitriolic attack was a reminder of the mistrust dogging Japan and North Korea as they continue a stop-start drive to establish diplomatic relations.