North Korea remains ready to conduct an additional nuclear test at its nuclear test site in the country’s northeastern region, South Korea’s Defense Ministry spokesman said Monday.
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Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo also said Friday that “North Korea has been preparing a nuclear test and given the related developments, I think that it can do another nuclear test soon”.
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said the council must use “every tool at its disposal” including new sanctions “to demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences for its unlawful and unsafe actions”.
North Korea repeated its demand for recognition as a “legitimate” nuclear-armed state on Sunday.
“In line with this commitment and the gravity of this violation, the members of the Security Council will begin to work immediately on appropriate measures” in a new United Nations resolution, the statement said.
The government in Seoul will take “all diplomatic and military efforts to counter North Korea’s continued provocation”, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs Kim Kyou-Hyun told reporters Sunday.
The country’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Monday dismissed comments by U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter that China bears “great responsibility” for North Korea’s latest nuclear test.
“Gone are the days never to return when the USA could make a unilateral nuclear blackmail against the DPRK”, said Rodong Sinmun, using the country’s official name.
“South Korea has already developed a plan to annihilate the North Korean capital of Pyongyang through intensive bombing in case the North shows any signs of a nuclear attack”, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency said, quoting a military source.
Yonhap said the US military will try again Tuesday to fly two B-1 bombers, capable of carrying 24 atomic weapons, over its main air base near Seoul.
China has said it “firmly opposes” the test, but analysts believe Beijing wants to avoid a collapse of North Korea in order to prevent the balance of power on the Korean peninsula from leaning towards the US. It previously called Park a “prostitute”.
North Korea’s pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons is one of the most intractable foreign policy problems for the US and South Korea.
Sung Kim, the US State Department’s special representative for North Korea policy, said Sunday during a visit to Japan that Washington and Tokyo would work closely “to come up with the strongest possible measure against North Korea’s latest action”.
He also suggested the USA may launch its own unilateral sanctions in response to “the provocative and unacceptable behaviour by the North Koreans”.
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The Security Council met at the request of Japan, South Korea and the United States to agree on a response, despite resistance from Pyongyang’s ally China to calls for tougher measures.
