North Korea vows to strengthen nuclear deterrence ahead of US-South Korea joint military drills
Vietnam News Agency quoted a North Korean source as saying that the North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement protesting the recent joint military exercises between South Korea and the US this summer, and declared to strengthen its "nuclear deterrence" capability strong enough to deal with any external threats.
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Image of North Korea's missile test launch. Photo: Fox News |
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that North Korea likely restarted a reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear complex to produce plutonium. The North Korean mission to the United Nations has not yet commented.
In related developments, the US has highlighted the urgency of dialogue and maintaining diplomatic policy towards North Korea. Washington affirmed that it will continue to seek dialogue with Pyongyang to resolve issues related to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula./.