North Korea on Wednesday warned that if the United States used military force against Pyongyang it would take "prompt corresponding actions at any level", in response to comments by US President Donald Trump.
Denuclearisation negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have been deadlocked since a summit in Hanoi broke up in February, and the renewed threats come as a deadline set by Pyongyang for fresh concessions approaches.
Trump on Tuesday indicated that military action was still possible when he was asked about North Korea on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Britain on Tuesday.
"He definitely likes sending rockets up, doesn't he? That's why I call him 'Rocket Man'," Trump said of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"We have the most powerful military we've ever had, and we're by far the most powerful country in the world. And, hopefully, we don't have to use it, but if we do, we'll use it. If we have to, we'll do it," Trump added.
Responding on Wednesday Pak Jong Chon, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said he was "greatly disappointed" by Trump's comments, the official KCNA news agency said.
He added that "the use of armed forces is not the privilege of the US only".
"If the US uses any armed forces against the DPRK, we will also take prompt corresponding actions at any level," he added, using the initials of North Korea's official name.
North Korea has demanded the US offer it fresh concessions by the end of the year -- ahead of Kim's New Year speech on January 1, a key political set-piece in the isolated country.
Pyongyang has also issued a series of increasingly assertive comments in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, KCNA quoted Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song as saying: "What gift the US receives for Christmas depends entirely on the US' decision."
European UN council members condemn NKorea missile launches
United Nations, United States (AFP) Dec 4, 2019 - European members of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday condemned North Korea's "provocative" ballistic missile launches, and reaffirmed the need to enforce sanctions against the country.
"Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom are deeply concerned by the continued testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including the missile launches of 28 November," read the statement.
The Europeans noted that Pyongyang "has conducted 13 sets of ballistic missile launches since May and continued to operate its nuclear program.
"We condemn these provocative actions," the statement read. "They undermine regional security and stability, as well as international peace and security, and are in clear violation of unanimously adopted UN Security Council resolutions."
The statement was released after a closed door Security Council meeting on North Korea that the European countries had called for.
For the Europeans, it is "vital that the Security Council ensures full implementation of its resolutions and that sanctions remain in place."
The statement called "on the international community to comply with the obligation to strictly enforce these sanctions."
Starting in May, the Europeans have called for a Security Council meeting on North Korea after each North Korean missile test.
On November 28 -- the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States -- North Korea fired two "unidentified projectiles" as nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked.
The projectiles were fired eastwards from South Hamgyong province and came down in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
Pyongyang is banned from firing ballistic missiles under UN Security Council resolutions.
Nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington are stalled with a looming end-of-year deadline set by North Korea for some kind of US concession.
Talks have been deadlocked since the Hanoi summit broke up in February, and the North has issued a series of increasingly assertive comments in recent weeks as its time limit approaches.
UN diplomats fear that North Korea will resume long-range nuclear or ballistic tests if no progress is made soon.
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North Korea fires two 'unidentified projectiles' on Thanksgiving
Seoul (AFP) Nov 28, 2019
North Korea fired two "unidentified projectiles" on Thursday - the Thanksgiving holiday in the US - Seoul said, as nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked. The projectiles were fired eastwards from South Hamgyong province and came down in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. They added that the launch, the latest in a series by Pyongyang, was carried out at 16:59 pm local time (0859 GMT) - or the early hours on ... read more
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