N Korea vows to intensify nuclear tests

A South Korean soldier stands as a North Korean flag flies atop a 160-meter tower in the village of Gijungdong, near the North side of the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, north of Seoul. Picture: Lee Jin-man

A South Korean soldier stands as a North Korean flag flies atop a 160-meter tower in the village of Gijungdong, near the North side of the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, north of Seoul. Picture: Lee Jin-man

Published Nov 20, 2014

Share

Seoul -

North Korea said on Thursday it would intensify its nuclear weapons programme following a UN resolution that recommended legal proceedings against Pyongyang for its human rights record, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

North Korea said it “completely rejected” the UN decision, and accused the United States of orchestrating the “forceful passage” of the resolution, the North Korean Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korea would not hold back from further nuclear tests in light of the vote, the ministry statement said. “Our war deterrence will be intensified limitlessly,” it said.

The Defence Ministry in Seoul said it would be closely watching North Korea's nuclear facilities in the wake of Pyongyang's statement, Yonhap reported.

A UN committee on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court in a critical move aimed at holding the isolated country accountable for documented abuses of human rights.

On Wednesday, Pyongyang said the vote in the Third Committee of the General Assembly, tasked with handling human rights issues, proved that “the so-called 'human rights dialogue' advocated by the European Union is only intended to pursue sinister political purposes of eliminating the ideology and social system of the DPRK.” - Sapa-dpa

Related Topics: