The ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun nevertheless declared Monday that the nuclear programme’s “miraculous successes” mean the North has not only U.S. bases in the Asia-Pacific but also the United States mainland “in its clutches”.
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South Korean and USA intelligence officials believe the North has the ability to detonate another nuclear blast anytime, said Ministry of National Defense spokesman Moon Sang-gyun.
North Korea is ready to conduct another nuclear test at any point, according to South Korean officials.
On Friday North Korea carried out what it said was its fifth, and largest, nuclear test.
The plan is to carry out pre-emptive strikes against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the country’s military leadership if any signs of an imminent use of nuclear weapons is detected or in case of a war, the official explained.
It was Pyongyang’s fifth nuclear test and followed the previous one by eight months.
Kim Jong-Un’s murderous regime vowed to continue to strengthen its nuclear power despite provoking outrage from its near neighbours as well as from the United States with Friday’s test, which triggered a 5.3 magnitude quake. It said its missile and nuclear tests are necessary to counter “a U.S. nuclear threat to its independence”.
Obama reaffirmed, as he has done repeatedly following North Korean ballistic missile launches, the U.S. commitment to “take necessary steps to defend our allies in the region”, namely South Korea and Japan.
In the unanimously adopted March resolution, the council expressed “its determination to take further significant measures in the event of a further DPRK (North Korea) nuclear test or launch”. US President Barack Obama made similar comments immediately after Friday’s explosion.
“Due to inclement weather conditions, the engagement at Osan Air Base scheduled for today has been postponed”, Yonhap quoted USFK spokesman Christopher Bush saying in a statement.
South Korean reports suggest the USA is set to send a B-1B bomber from Guam to the Korean peninsula on Tuesday, in a show of strength and solidarity with Seoul. USFK said it would soon provide information about a possible new date.
Within hours, North Korean state media announced that the test had been a success and demonstrated the regime’s ability to mount nuclear warheads on strategic ballistic missiles. But they acknowledge the pace of progress in its weapons programs is troubling. The announcement by Seoul came as North Korea was thought to prepare for another launch. Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear programme in exchange for aid were last held in late 2008 and fell apart in early 2009.
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North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho left for Venezuela on Monday, where is is expected to attend the Non-Aligned Movement Summit. During a visit to Japan on Sunday, Sung Kim said the USA will consider unilateral measures in addition to action at the U.N. Security Council, according to media reports.
