North Korea may conduct another nuclear or missile test as the secretive state looks to forward its nuclear capabilities and weapons program, South Korea warned Monday.
The South Korean defence ministry warned parliament that the North’s nuclear test site remained “ready” for a new test, Yonhap News Agency reported.
“(The North) will continue such provocations as additional nuclear tests and missile launches to secure its nuclear capabilities … The Punggye-ri nuclear test site remains ready for a (new) test,” the ministry said.
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The defence ministry was addressing its assessment of North Korea’s test of an intermediate-range missile that was launched over Japan on Friday. The defence ministry also clarified its assessment that said the North was “near the final phase” of its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) development, and “will continue provocations including additional nuclear tests and missile launches in order to secure nuclear capabilities,” Yonhap News Agency reported.
“We have made no such assessment, but it’s our interpretation of what the North has tried to assert by making such a claim,” the ministry told lawmakers.
North Korea sent an intermediate-range missile over the northern part of Japan and into the Pacific Ocean, completing the country’s longest test flight of a ballistic missile. The test came in the wake of tougher sanctions imposed by the United Nations following the country’s sixth nuclear test early this month.
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North Korea also warned Monday that the more sanctions imposed on Pyongyang, the faster it will move to complete its weapons program.
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“The increased moves of the U.S. and its vassal forces to impose sanctions and pressure … will only increase our pace towards the ultimate completion of the state nuclear force,” the North’s foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by its official KCNA news agency.
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The United States and South Korea conducted bombing exercises on the Korean peninsula as world leaders were set to gather in New York at the United Nations General Assembly where North Korea’s nuclear capability will loom heavily over U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders.
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Ahead of the gathering of world leaders, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Washington has “pretty much exhausted all the things that we can do at the Security Council at this point” and warned of possible military action.
“If North Korea keeps on with this reckless behaviour, if the United States has to defend itself or defend its allies in any way, North Korea will be destroyed. And we all know that. And none of us want that. None of us want war,” she said on CNN.
–with files from the Associated Press.
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