North Korea demands US apology for not using official name

North Korea is demanding an apology from the United States for its "insolent outrageous behavior" by failing to use the country's official name -- the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korean counsellor Ri Song Chol made the demand at a meeting yesterday of the UN committee dealing with relations with the United States.

He said his mission made a routine request to the US mission to renew a tax exemption card for a diplomat in early December and was very surprised when the new card came back with the country's name as "North Korea."

Ri said his mission assumed it was a "technical mistake" but was shocked to hear that the US State Department in Washington refused to change the country's name to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.