DPRK threatens more severe countermeasures

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Thursday that if the United Nations Security Council adopts a resolution to impose new sanctions on the country, it will adopt more severe countermeasures as previously announced.

The official KCNA news agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying that if the United States dares ignite the fuse of a nuclear war, the country would exercise the right of preemptive nuclear attack for self-defense.

On February 12, the DPRK conducted a nuclear test, the third since October 2006. It said it is "natural just measure for self-defense to react to the US ever-increasing nuclear threat with nuclear deterrence," and warned to "take the second and third stronger steps in succession" if the United States, its "sworn enemy", continues hostility.

The DPRK's latest nuclear test has drawn condemnations worldwide. The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote later this week on a resolution designed to punish the DPRK for the test.

The DPRK Supreme Military Command said Tuesday that the Korean War Armistice Agreement would became "null" on March 11 when the war-provoking exercise to be staged by the Republic of Korea(ROK) and the United States starts.

The annual joint ROK-US military exercises, dubbed Key Resolve, will involve 10,000 ROK soldiers and 3,500 US troops.

The Korean War, broke out in 1950 and came to a ceasefire on July 27, 1953 when the Armistice Agreement was signed.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday that Beijing expects all parties "to do more to ease tensions on the peninsula and promote regional peace and stability."