North Korea has strongly criticized U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for calling it a “rogue state” in a media interview.

In a statement carried by the North’s state Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) on Monday, the North’s foreign ministry called Rubio’s remarks hostile, a “grave political provocation,” and totally contrary to the principles of international law, which emphasize respect for sovereignty and noninterference in other countries’ internal affairs. 

The statement went on to say that Rubio’s remarks reaffirmed that the United States has not changed its hostile policy toward the North, calling it absurd and illogical that the most depraved state in the world would brand another country as a rogue state. 

The ministry then warned that North Korea will never tolerate provocations by the U.S. and will take tough countermeasures.

It is North Korea’s first public criticism of any top officials in the new Trump administration since President Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20.

In an interview with an American journalist on January 30, Rubio said the U.S. has rogue states like Iran and North Korea that it has to deal with.