[Courtesy of Xinhua News]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered nuclear weapons to be ready for use at any time, warning South Korea is also within the range of a nuclear strike targeting the United States, state media said Friday.
Kim said the nuclear-armed country would step up the development of atomic bombs to defend its sovereignty and survival, according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"Nuclear warheads deployed for national defense should be always ready for use so that they can be fired any moment," Kim was quoted as saying.
Without disclosing any location and date, KCNA said Kim's comment was made as he inspected the test-firing of a new multiple rocket launcher.
On Thursday, North Korea fired six short-range projectiles from a base near the eastern port of Wonsan. The South's defense ministry said the projectiles fell in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) after flying up to 150 kilometers (90 miles).
Thursday's exercise came hours after the United Nations Security Council approved the toughest sanctions in decades against North Korea in response to its recent nuclear and missile tests.
"The only way to defend our sovereignty and right to live under such an extreme situation ... is to bolster our nuclear force both in quality and quantity and keep the balance of power," Kim said
He warned that Seoul should not thrust itself under the domain of North Korean nuclear weapons which originally target Washington.
Kim also urged North Korean troops to get ready for "pre-emptive" attacks and accelerate the deployment of newly developed weaponry, KCNA said, adding the North's new multiple rocket launcher is capable of hitting any key targets in South Korea.
In its first official reaction to UN sanctions, Pyongyang issued a statement vowing to take "strong and merciless actions".
"We will mobilize various means and ways to take strong and merciless actions, including physical means," it said in a statement carried by KCNA, describing UN sanctions as "the most reckless provocation".
South Korean military officials said Thursday's exercise was probably aimed at testing a 300-millimeter-caliber multiple rocket launcher with a range of up to 200 kilometers.
China called for calm and restraint saying the situation on the Korean peninsula is "highly complex and sensitive".
"We hope that relevant parties can exercise restraint, speak and act prudently, and refrain from taking actions that may escalate tensions," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in Beijing.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
