North Korea slams World Economic Forum for yanking invite
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea on Thursday criticized organizers of the World Economic Forum in Davos for revoking an invitation to its delegation in the wake of a nuclear test.
The WEF sent an invitation to North Korea last autumn but withdrew it after Pyongyang defiantly conducted what it called a hydrogen bomb test last week.
There is widespread skepticism over whether the blast was truly an H-bomb test, but world powers are looking for ways to punish the North. The test, even if not a hydrogen bomb, will still likely push the country closer toward a fully functional nuclear arsenal.
The North's state media said its permanent representative to the U.N. office sent a letter of protest to the WEF's managing board on Thursday.
The letter expressed "deep concern" over the forum's decision and described it as a "very sinister act," according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
The WEF, scheduled for later this month, is an annual high-profile gathering of heads of state, CEOs and public figures in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. This year's forum is expected to draw more than 2,500 participants from more than 100 countries.
North Korea last attended the forum in 1998, according to South Korean media.