N Korea warns of ‘merciless measures’

SEOUL: North Korea on Thursday warned it would take “merciless self-defensive” measures should the United States enforce a naval blockade, which Pyongyang sees as “an act of war”, the isolated nation’s state media said.

Citing a foreign ministry spokesman, the North’s KCNA news agency said a naval blockade would be a “wanton violation” of the country’s sovereignty and dignity.

US President Donald Trump was taking an “extremely dangerous and big step towards the nuclear war” by seeking such a blockade, it added.

It was not immediately clear what US proposal the agency was referring to.

“Should the United States and its followers try to enforce the naval blockade against our country, we will see it as an act of war and respond with merciless self-defensive counter-measures as we have warned repeatedly,” the agency said.

CHINA: SOLVE KOREAN CRISIS THROUGH TALK

War must not be allowed to break out on the Korean peninsula and the issue must be resolved through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Beijing on Thursday.

Xi and his visiting South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in s aid they would not tolerate war on the peninsula, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported.

The two countries will cooperate in applying sanctions and pressure on North Korea, the agency added.