PYONGYANG, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday charged that the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) has "aggravated the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula."

According to the official KCNA news agency, a spokesman with the DPRK's foreign ministry criticized the IAEA for siding with Washington's hostile policy towards Pyongyang, adding that their criticism of the DPRK's construction of a light water reactor is "in view of old standard."

"The DPRK, which legitimately accessed nukes to cope with the U.S.' persistent hostile policy, has its own standard on which the IAEA's function is not workable as the function mainly deals with non-nuclear states," the spokesman said.

The IAEA said last week that the DPRK has made "significant progress" in its build-up of a new light water reactor.

The nuclear watchdog also said in a recent report that the DPRK's construction of the reactor and its uranium enrichment activities have aroused serious concerns. Enditem