North Korea warns UN it is preparing for ‘nuclear war’ with the US that will erupt over tensions with the South
US flew supersonic bombers near the border of North Korea which could 'ignite' tensions with the South
North Korea has warned the UN that it is preparing for 'nuclear war' after US supersonic bombers were flown near its borders.
The country's foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, told the UN General Assembly, the act could result in tensions between North and South and could turn Korea into 'the world's most dangerous hot spot which can even ignite the outbreak of a nuclear war'.
Ri criticised the US for having a 'hostile policy' towards North Korea and said 'the United States will have to face tremendous consequences beyond imagination'.
He also said in order 'to defend the dignity and right to existence and safeguard genuine peace vis-a-vis the increased nuclear war threat of the United States', the country's nuclear force needed to be strengthened.
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The foreign minister claimed that B-1B bombers from the US military flew over South Korea and crossed the demarcation lines which separates North and South Korea.
In response the US military has said at at least one of two supersonic bombers that it flew over South Korea approached the border with North Korea.
On Friday, commander Dave Benham, a US Pacific Command spokesman, said that the aircraft remained in South Korean airspace and 'did not at any time cross the military demarcation line between North and South Korea'.
The US flyover comes two weeks after North Korea conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test.
Also speaking on Friday, US Secretary of State, John Kerry said that every country has a responsibility to vigorously enforce U.N. Security Council resolutions to ensure North Korea 'pays a price for its dangerous actions'.
Kerry also vowed that the United States would defend its own citizens against the North Korean threat and honour its security commitments to its allies.
This latest war of words comes days after the US, Japan and South Korea met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly gathering to discuss ways to force North Korea to comply with the UN resolutions, which prohibit Pyongyang from conducting nuclear and missile tests.
The three countries discussed work in the Security Council to tighten the sanctions and the possibility of taking measures of their own to restrict revenue sources for the North's missile and nuclear programs.
Ri dismissed the Security Council resolutions as unfair.
He said North Korea 'had no other choice but to go nuclear inevitably after it has done everything possible to defend the national security from the constant nuclear threats from the United States'.