SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.

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N. Korea slams Japan's defense paper as justification for military buildup

SEOUL -- North Korea on Tuesday denounced Japan's latest defense white paper, calling it an attempt to justify the country's military buildup and describing it as legal basis for "the operation of war machine."

Kang Won-chol, an international security analyst, made the claims in an article published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, the most widely read newspaper in the North.

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N. Korea sends condolences over death of ex-Lao parliament president

SEOUL -- North Korea has sent condolences over the death of a former leader of the Lao parliament, state media said Wednesday.

The condolence message was sent Sunday by the standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) over the death of Xaysomphone Phomvihane, former president of Laos' National Assembly, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

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N. Korea vows to secure 'unsurvivable' retaliatory capability over S. Korea's nuclear submarine push: KCNA

SEOUL -- North Korea denounced South Korea's efforts to build a nuclear-powered submarine, calling it a step toward "nuclear armament," Pyongyang's state media said.

In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Jang Kum-chol, first vice minister of North Korea's foreign ministry, said that Seoul's goal was to "free itself from the constraints of restrictions on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment and secure the right to produce nuclear material, ultimately paving the way to nuclear armament."

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N. Korea again skips missile launch report

SEOUL -- North Korea stayed silent Thursday on the ballistic missile it launched the previous day, marking the second straight time Pyongyang has departed from its usual practice of announcing such launches the following morning.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, the most widely read newspaper in the country, had made no mention of the launch as of 7 a.m.

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N. Korea's Wed. rebuke marks its 1st official stance on Seoul's nuclear submarine push: official

SEOUL -- North Korea's criticism Wednesday of Seoul's push for nuclear-powered submarines marked Pyongyang's first official response to the matter, a South Korean unification ministry official said Thursday.

In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the previous day, Jang Kum-chol, first vice minister of North Korea's foreign ministry, argued Seoul's effort to build nuclear submarines marked a step toward nuclear armament.

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N. Korea warns of 'new level of deterrent' ahead of key S. Korea-U.S. military drills

SEOUL -- North Korea on Friday denounced an upcoming joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States, warning it will respond to the drills "with a new level of a deterrent."

A spokesperson at North Korea's foreign ministry made the statement, as South Korea and the U.S. are set to begin the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise starting Monday until Aug. 27.

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N. Korea warns of bolstering nuclear deterrent over U.S.' new nuclear strategy

SEOUL -- North Korea on Friday criticized the United States' new nuclear strategy under review as lowering the threshold for nuclear use, vowing to strengthen its "nuclear deterrent for self-defense."

The criticism came amid reports that the Pentagon is drafting a new nuclear strategy focusing on the use of short-range tactical nuclear weapons in case of conflicts with China or Russia.

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