It invited Pyongyang-based ambassadors from such nations as Laos and Cambodia to information sessions in response to US sanctions on Kim and criticism by Asia-Europe Meeting leaders over North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
Advertisement
Later on Tuesday afternoon all six-party members – the US, China, Japan, Russia and North and South Korea – will attend the Asean Regional Forum, a security meeting that groups most of Asia.
“We are ready to show that even a [powerful] country will surely not be safe if it tries to torment and harm a small country”, Ri says, according to the text of his speech released to the media.
Activist Kwon Na-hyun said a 28-year-old North Korean woman who had been living in China’s Liaoning Province was arrested on Monday and taken to the border with North Korea.
“Mr. Ri on Tuesday said the USA had made a declaration of war by criticizing North Korea’s human-rights record”.
North Korea’s new foreign minister and former nuclear negotiator Ri Yong-Ho has met his Chinese counterpart Yi – but is seen as unlikely that Mr Kerry and Mr Ri will meet.
Ri added that North Korea was a responsible nuclear state and repeated its position that it would not use atomic arms unless threatened.
The issue has also raised concern that China might be refusing to render full-scale cooperation for global efforts to increase pressure on Pyongyang, including implementing the latest U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution, in protest of the THAAD deployment decision.
Their meeting marks the third round of high-level strategic consultations on North Korea policy that were established under an agreement President Park Geun-hye reached with U.S. President Barack Obama at their summit in October.
“The United States will have to pay dearly a terrifying price”.
North Korea launched its latest nuclear test in January and carried out multiple missile tests since February this year.
Despite the latest attempt by the global community to push it towards bankruptcy, North Korea has continued to carry out ballistic missile tests, and made it clear that it intends to continue nuclear testing.
Earlier in the day, Kerry had referred to Iran and encouraged North Korea to follow its example.
North Korea has accused the South of “hideous abduction”, after Seoul said in April that the 13 restaurant workers had chosen to seek asylum in the South.
Advertisement
“Together we are determined.to make absolutely certain that DPRK (North Korea) understands that there are real consequences for these actions”, Kerry said.
