North Korea Criticizes G-7 Over Nuclear Weapons.

North Korea's foreign minister criticized the Group of Seven (G-7) wealthy democracies for being a "tool for ensuring the U.S. hegemony" and condemned their recent call for the North's denuclearization. She warned of "strong counteraction" if G-7 countries infringe upon North Korea's fundamental interests. The G-7 foreign ministers had jointly condemned North Korea's recent ballistic missile tests and reiterated their commitment to the goal of North Korea's complete abandonment of its nuclear weapons. North Korea has been hit with 11 rounds of U.N. sanctions because of its past nuclear and ballistic missile tests banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions.