North Korea accuses Obama of interference

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea took its first swipe at President Barack Obama on Wednesday, accusing his administration of meddling, though the communist country somewhat toned down its recent harsh, military rhetoric.

North Korea has been critical of the United States in recent weeks, accusing it of using annual military exercises with South Korea to prepare for an invasion, a claim Washington denies.

Also stoking tensions has been the North’s intention to fire a rocket, which it says will be a satellite but that South Korea and other governments believe will be a test of a long-range missile capable of striking U.S. territory.

“The new administration of the U.S. is now working hard to infringe upon the sovereignty” of North Korea “by force of arms,” the North’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that also accused Obama’s government of “seriously interfering in its internal affairs” in both “words and deeds.”

Wednesday’s statement was significant in that it was the Foreign Ministry’s first on the U.S. since Obama’s inauguration, an analyst said.

“The Foreign Ministry is Washington’s direct negotiating partner and has not engaged in criticizing the U.S. so far,” said Kim Yong-hyun, a professor at Seoul’s Dongguk University. “This means they have started expressing pent-up complaints.”

However, the ministry’s less strident tone reflects Pyongyang’s willingness for negotiation, Kim said.