PYONGYANG, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday accused the United States of barring its religious delegation from entering the country for a meeting and demanded an official apology.

    In a statement, an unnamed spokesman for the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) Central Committee said such a rude behavior was "a sort of suppression of religion."

    The U.S. authorities refused to allow the KCF delegation to participate in the 217th meeting of the U.S. Presbyterian Church in Alabama in late June at the official invitation of the Church.

    "The recent very rude action ... was no more than a dastardly hostile action perpetrated by them against the DPRK with a careful political calculation," the spokesman said.

    "We bitterly denounce the recent action taken by the U.S. authorities as a grave infringement upon the free religious life and rights of the Christians and an inhumane behavior contrary to the elementary international practice and etiquette and strongly demand they officially apologize for this," the spokesman said. Enditem