North Korea threatens to resume long-range nuclear missile tests

rth Korea threatened again to resume nuclear and long-range missile tests on October 8, accusing U.S. of having instigated some members of U.N. Security Council to condemn its recent weapons tests. warning by Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry followed weekend breakdown of rth Korea-U.S. nuclear negotiations in Sweden, first such talks between countries in more than seven months. rth Korea said talks collapsed because U.S. didn’t have any new proposals and wher it maintains a self-imposed moratorium on major weapons tests was up to Washington.

A tactic to pressure U.S?

Some observers say rth Korea’s threat may be a tactic to pressure U.S. into making concessions as a restart of nuclear and long-range missile tests would likely derail negotiations, deepen its international isolation and furr dim prospects for rebuilding its moribund ecomy. A ministry statement took issue with condemnation Tuesday by European members of U.N. Security Council of rth Korea’s recent ballistic missile and or weapons tests, including its first underwater-launched missile launch in three years on Oct. 2. rth Korea said those tests were of self-defence nature. rth Korea also accused U.S. of being behind European condemnation of its weapons tests after having “begged for working-level rth Korea-U.S. talks” in Sweden.

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Underwater-launched missile test

On Tuesday, U.N. council discussed rth’s latest underwater-launched missile test and its European members urged Pyongyang to abandon all weapons of mass destruction and eng in “meaningful negotiations” with U.S. council meeting was called by France, Germany and United Kingdom. Council members Belgium and Poland joined in supporting statement along with Estonia, which will join council in January.  rth Korean statement said condemnation is particularly a “grave provocation to us” because Security Council didn’t act on Oct. 2 U.S. test of an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile, which it said was apparently designed to apply pressure on rth Korea.

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't a response to world events or regional tensions'

A U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command statement said that such tests demonstrate capability of intercontinental ballistic missile system and are t a response to world events or regional tensions. rth Korea said it can make a response “on same level” but is refraining from doing that because it’s still unnecessary or premature to do so. But statement said that “our patience has a limit” and European condemnation is pushing rth Korea to reconsider wher to maintain disarmament steps it has taken to build confidence with U.S. rth Korea last year suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests, partially dismantled its long-range rocket test site and dismantled its only kwn underground nuclear testing site. U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at stripping rth Korea of its nuclear program h been stalemated since second summit between President Donald Trump and rth Korean leer Kim Jong Un in Vietnam in February ended without any agreement. That summit fell apart because of Trump’s rejection of Kim’s demands for major sanctions relief in return for a limited denuclearization step.

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