North Korean Fury Over 'Sinister' Davos Forum Snub

North Korea on Thursday protested its "unjustifiable" exclusion from the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, calling it a "sinister act" of compliance with Pyongyang's political enemies.

North Korea had planned to send a high-level delegation to Davos for the first time in 18 years, but the WEF announced on Wednesday that it was rescinding the invite, following North Korea's nuclear test last week.

In a letter sent to the WEF managing board, Pyongyang's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva voiced deep concern over such a "sudden and irresponsible" move.

"The behaviour of the forum is a very sinister act of defying the elementary impartiality and principles to be abided by an international body," the North's official KCNA news agency quoted the letter as saying.

Some 2,500 business and political leaders, including more than 40 heads of state, are expected to attend the WEF's four-day gathering in Davos next week for a series of seminars on key issues facing the global economy.

The protest letter noted that the North's decision to attend this year -- with Foreign Minister Ri Su-Yong leading the delegation -- had been a response to repeated requests from the WEF.

As a result, the decision to rescind the invite for an "unjustifiable political reason", was unwarranted and "unbecoming", it added.

"And it took advantage of the moves of some forces pursuing extreme hostile policy toward (North Korea)."

North Korea's decision to carry out a fourth nuclear test on January 6 triggered global condemnation and threats of fresh sanctions from the UN Security Council.

The North claimed it had tested a miniaturised hydrogen bomb, although Western experts said seismic data suggested the yield was far too low for a fully-fledged thermonuclear device.

It was still North Korea's fourth nuclear test since 2006, and further evidence of Pyongyang's intention to continue developing its nuclear weapons capability in the face of international censure.