“It’s clear that Kim Jong-un has absolutely no interest whatsoever in changing”, said Yun.
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Kim met with Japanese officials on Sunday and said the United States may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea, echoing comments by U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday in the wake of the test.
South Korea has threatened to reduce North Korea to ashes and “remove it from the map” if it shows any signs of mounting a nuclear attack, the BBC reports.
The U.N. said North Korea demonstrated a “clear violation” as well as a “flagrant disregard of existing council resolutions”. South Korea’s military said it was about 10 kilotonnes, enough to make it the North’s “strongest nuclear test ever”.
Specific details of the unilateral sanctions have yet to be decided, Kim reportedly said, while speaking to reporters in Tokyo after meeting Japanese foreign ministry officials.
“Every Pyongyang district, particularly where the North Korean leadership is possibly hidden, will be completely destroyed by ballistic missiles and high-explosive shells as soon as the North shows any signs of using a nuclear weapon”, a military source in Seoul, whose name has not been disclosed, said on Sunday, as cited by Yonhap news agency. Obama said he intends “to take additional significant steps, including new sanctions, to demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to its unlawful and risky actions.” .
Obama vowed to work with the UN Security Council, other six-party partners and the global community to “take additional significant steps, including new sanctions” to demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to its unlawful and risky actions. The United States, Britain and France pushed for the 15-member body to impose new sanctions.
Clinton was also quoted as saying she would consider discussions similar to recent negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, because sanctions “aren’t enough”.
The relationship between North and South Korea is unsurprisingly tense, and this latest report indicates the South is fed up. “These may include complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio and other means of communication, and the severance of diplomatic relations”.
Seoul will try to persuade the United Nations Security Council to pursue a new sanctions package to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear test in three ways, a senior foreign ministry official said on Sunday.
“In addition to sanctions in the security council, both the USA and Japan, together with [South Korea], will be looking at any unilateral measures as well as bilateral measures as well as possible trilateral cooperation”.
The statement said China’s stance has always been to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, prevent nuclear proliferation, and maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia.
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At least 63 nations and seven global bodies have issued statements condemning Pyongyang’s fifth nuclear test.
