North Korea denounced Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's war anniversary statement Saturday, saying he failed to acknowledge and apologize for his country's wartime deeds.

An unnamed spokesman for the North's foreign ministry issued a statement hours after the Japanese premier read out his speech in Tokyo to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

"Japan is talking about future and responsibility and contribution in the international community, without making an apology and reflection on having not yet liquidated the monstrous crimes and unspeakable damage done to the Korean people," the spokesman said in the statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. "It is an unpardonable mockery of the Korean people and an act of deceiving the international community."

Abe's statement was closely watched by South Korea and China, both victims of Japanese aggressions in the early part of the 20th century. Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910-45.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se told his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, in a phone call Friday that Japan's "sincere action"

is of utmost importance. China said Japan must make a formal apology for its wartime aggressions.

Referring to Abe's statement, the North Korean spokesman added, "Japan is becoming so crafty as to cover up its past crimes and describe itself as a contributor to peace.'"

"We categorically denounce and reject such act of Japan as a shameless act of challenging our sovereignty and dignity, international justice and human conscience."

The spokesman added, "The will of the service personnel and people of the DPRK to force Japan to pay for the crimes committed for one century and have their towering grudge settled is growing stronger as the days go by."

DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. (Yonhap)