N Korea: Will not Surrender to US Nuclear Blackmail

Local Editor

North Korea said Saturday it would not submit to US nuclear "blackmail", a day after shocking the world with its fifth and largest nuclear test.

"Gone are the days never to return when the US could make a unilateral nuclear blackmail against the DPRK [the Democratic People's Republic of Korea]," said the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, using the country's official name.

"The US is exasperated by the strong military steps being taken by the DPRK in a phased way."

The North's latest test, preceded by a volley of missile launches in recent months, sparked worldwide condemnation. The UN Security Council agreed on Friday immediately to begin work on a new series of sanctions.

The Rodong commentary, carried by the North's official KCNA news agency, slammed South Korean President Park Geun-Hye as a "dirty ..." of foreign forces.

The commentary took issue with her recent condemnation, during talks with US President Barack Obama, of the North's ballistic missile test-launches. It did not directly mention Friday's nuclear test.

The newspaper accused Park of "groundlessly taking issue with the DPRK over its just measures for bolstering nuclear deterrence for self-defense".

It added: "The DPRK will not change its option though such American colonial servant and dirty prostitute of foreign forces as Park Geun-Hye is making such fuss."

South Korea's foreign minister said on Saturday that North Korea's nuclear capability is expanding fast, echoing alarm around the world over the isolated state's fifth nuclear test carried out in defiance of UN sanctions, Reuters reported.

"North Korea's nuclear capability is growing and speeding to a considerable level, considering the fifth nuclear test was the strongest in scale and the interval has quickened substantially," Yun told a ministry meeting convened to discuss the test.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team