North Korea has denounced US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for visiting Taiwan and the truce village of Panmunjom.

Pelosi traveled to Panmunjom on Thursday, after she visited Taiwan. The truce village is located in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.

The House speaker and her South Korean counterpart Kim Jin-pyo held a joint news conference on Thursday. Kim said, "We agreed to support the efforts of the two governments to achieve practical denuclearization and peace through international cooperation and diplomatic dialogue, based on the strong and extended deterrence against the North."

On Saturday, North Korea's foreign ministry released a statement by Jo Yong Sam, the director general of the ministry's press and information department.

The statement was released via the state-run Korean Central News Agency, KCNA.

Jo criticized Pelosi for talking about deterrence against North Korea. The statement said that lurking behind her comment is a sinister scheme being carried out by the US. The director general said that the need for deterrence is used as an excuse by Washington to justify its "anachronistic hostile policy" toward the North.

Jo called Pelosi "the worst destroyer of international peace and stability." The director general said that she "incurred the wrath of the Chinese people for her recent junket to Taiwan."

North Korea has been accelerating its nuclear and missile development programs. It has cited the need for stronger deterrence against the US as one reason.

Experts say Pyongyang appears to be trying to justify its actions by accusing the US of making the situation in the region worse.