South Korea has promised “stern punishment” after the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, threatened pre-emptive nuclear attack after new international sanctions were announced.
China and Russia also expressed concern after the North Korean threats, the latest rhetorical escalation after Pyongyang’s new year test of a nuclear warhead and the launch last month of a satellite. It confirms the impression that the peninsula, as happens regularly, is entering a period of tension in which verbal aggression threatens to erupt over into physical confrontation.
“The US imperialists and their followers’ flagrant moves for political and economic pressure and military aggression … have gone to a grave phase,” said North Korea’s state news agency, in a report of a test launch of short-range land-to-sea missiles that was attended by Mr Kim.
He said: “The only way for defending the sovereignty of our nation … is to bolster up nuclear force both in quality and quantity [with] nuclear warheads deployed for national defence always on standby so as to be fired any moment.
“Now is the time for us to convert our mode of military counteraction toward the enemies into an pre-emptive attack.”
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Mr Kim was reacting to the latest announcement of sanctions, agreed in New York by the UN Security Council, which are intended to choke off equipment and funding for the North’s nuclear and long-range rocket programmes.
“If North Korea launches a provocation, we must respond with stern punishment to clearly show the price North Korea has to pay and our determination to protect our nation,” President Park Geun Hye of South Korea said in a televised speech at a ceremony for newly commissioned military officers.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, said: “The current situation on the Korean Peninsula is highly complex and sensitive. We hope that relevant parties can exercise restraint, speak and act prudently, and refrain from taking actions that may escalate tensions.”
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “This raises pretty serious concerns. We hope that all countries in the region will maintain restraint and a balanced attitude.”
The latest UN resolution was approved even by China, North Korea’s only ally. It includes bans on commodities imports and aviation fuel, trade that could be linked to military activities, restrictions on North Korean banking activity abroad and requirements on all nations to inspect North Korean cargo in their waters or airspace.