Catastrophe fears as Kim taunts us
Hydrogen bomb tests a gift package for US: Pyongyang
geneva — North Korea is ready to send “more gift packages” to the United States, one of its top diplomats said on Tuesday, dismissing the international uproar over his country’s latest and biggest nuclear weapons test.
Han Tae Song, ambassador of North Korea, officially known as Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), to the United Nations in Geneva, was addressing the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament two days after his country detonated its sixth nuclear test explosion.
“I am proud of saying that just two days ago on the third of September, DPRK successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test for intercontinental ballistic rocket under its plan for building a strategic nuclear force,” Han told the Geneva forum.
“The recent self-defence measures by my country, DPRK, are a ‘gift package’ addressed to none other than the US,” Han said.
“The US will receive more ‘gift packages’ from my country as long as its relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of a global catastrophe unless a diplomatic solution is reached over North Korea, but rejected US calls for more sanctions as “useless”, widening a split among major powers over how to rein in Pyongyang.
South Korea said an agreement with the US to scrap a weight limit on its warheads would help it respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat. South Korea’s Asia Business
Daily, citing an unidentified source, reported that North Korea had been observed moving a rocket that appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile towards its west coast.
The rocket started moving on Monday and was spotted moving only at night to avoid surveillance, the newspaper said. —
South Korea said on Tuesday an agreement with the United States to scrap a weight limit on its warheads would help it respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat after it conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test two days ago.
South Korean officials believe more weapons tests by the reclusive state are possible, despite international outrage over Sunday’s nuclear test and calls for more sanctions against it.
South Korea’s Asia Business Daily, citing an unidentified source, reported that North Korea had been observed moving a rocket that appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) towards its west coast.
The rocket started moving on Monday and was spotted moving only at night to avoid surveillance, the newspaper said.
South Korea’s defence ministry, which warned on Monday that North Korea was ready to launch an ICBM at any time, said it was not able to confirm the report.
Analysts and South Korean policymakers believe North Korea may test another weapon on or around September 9, when it celebrates its founding day.
North Korea’s fifth nuclear test fell on that date last year, reflecting its tendency to conduct weapons tests on significant dates.
North Korea says it needs to develop its weapons to defend itself against what it sees as US aggression.
South Korea, after weeks of rising tension, is talking to the United States about deploying aircraft carriers and strategic bombers to the Korean peninsula, and has been ramping up its own defences.
US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, agreed on Monday to scrap a warhead weight limit on South Korea’s missiles, South Korea’s presidential office said, enabling it to strike North Korea with greater force in the event of war.
The White House said Trump gave “in-principle approval” to the move.
The United States and South Korea signed a pact in 1979, a year after the South successfully tested a ballistic missile, with Washington expressing the need for limits on ballistic missile capability over concern that tests could undermine regional security.
South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 195053 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.
Both sides have thousands of rockets and artillery pieces aimed at each other across the world’s most heavily armed border, but the North’s rapid development of nuclear weapons and missiles has altered the balance, requiring a stronger response from South Korea, officials say.
“We believe the unlimited warhead payload will be useful in responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told a briefing.
Under current guidelines, last changed in 2012, South Korea can develop missiles up to a range of 800km with a maximum payload of 500 kg.
Most of North Korea’s missiles are designed to carry payloads of 100-1,000 kg, according to Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a USbased think thank.
South Korea’s navy held more exercises on Tuesday, a naval officer told a defence ministry briefing. “Today’s training is being held to prepare for maritime North Korean provocations, inspect our navy’s readiness and to reaffirm our will to punish the enemy,” the official said.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Monday North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was “begging for war” and urged the 15-member Security Council to impose the “strongest possible” sanctions to deter him and shut down his trading partners. Haley said the United States would circulate a new Security Council resolution on North Korea this week and wanted a vote on it on Monday. Trump has repeatedly warned that “all options were on the table” regarding North Korea, including military options.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said threats of military action were counterproductive.
“Russia condemns North Korea’s exercises, we consider that they are a provocation,” Putin told reporters after a summit of the BRICS countries in China.
“(But) ramping up military hysteria will lead to nothing good. It could lead to a global catastrophe.
While referring to more sanctions as a “road to nowhere”, Putin said Russia was prepared to discuss “some details” around the issue. He did not elaborate. — Reuters