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 Wednesday of the U.N. committee dealing with relations with the United States.

He said his mission made a routine request to the U.S. 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 U.S. State Department in Washington refused to change the country's name to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

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