North Korea said Monday it had successfully tested a new type of rocket in its latest missile launch, as analysts said it showed an unprecedented range that brought US bases in the Pacific within reach.

Sunday&#39;s launch was of a &quot;new ground-to-ground medium long-range strategic ballistic rocket&quot; named the Hwasong-12, the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Leader Kim Jong-Un personally oversaw the test, it said, and &quot;hugged officials in the field of rocket research, saying that they worked hard to achieve a great thing&quot;.

The isolated North is under multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, which have triggered global alarm.

The missile was launched on an unusually high trajectory, with KCNA saying it flew to an altitude of 2,111.5 kilometres and travelled 787 kilometres before coming down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

That suggests a range of 4,500 kilometres (2,800 miles) if flown for maximum distance, analysts said.

It &quot;represents a level of performance never before seen from a North Korean missile&quot;, aerospace engineering specialist John Schilling wrote on the respected 38 North website.&nbsp;

It appeared to demonstrate an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that could &quot;reliably strike the US base at Guam&quot; in the Pacific, he said, and &quot;more importantly, may represent a substantial advance to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)&quot;.

&#39;Won&#39;t happen&#39; 
The North says it needs atomic weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion and has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year.

Its goal is to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States -- something President Donald Trump has vowed &quot;won&#39;t happen&quot;.

Tensions between the two reached a peak in recent weeks, with Washington saying military action was an option under consideration and Pyongyang issuing threats of its own, sending fears of conflict spiralling.&nbsp;

Trump later appeared to hold open the door to negotiations, saying he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet Kim and called him a &quot;smart cookie&quot;.

Last week the South elected a new president, Moon Jae-In, who advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang and said at his inauguration that he was willing &quot;in the right circumstances&quot; to visit the North to ease tensions.

But he slammed the latest &nbsp;missile test as a &quot;reckless provocation&quot; after holding an emergency meeting with national security advisers.

Dialogue would be possible &quot;only if the North changes its attitude&quot;, he said.

Strategic balance 
In April the North put dozens of missiles on show at a giant military parade through the streets of Pyongyang, including one that appeared to be the type of device launched on Sunday.

The test &quot;proved to the full all the technical specifications of the rocket&quot; which was &quot;capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead&quot;, KCNA said.

There is no evidence yet that Pyongyang has mastered miniaturisation sufficiently to fit a nuclear weapon into a missile nose cone, or the re-entry technology needed to ensure it survives returning into Earth&#39;s atmosphere.

But it described another launch earlier this year as a drill for an attack on US bases in Japan -- which has long been within its range -- and David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists said the Hwasong-12 missile &quot;has considerably longer range than its current missiles&quot;.

Schilling said the ability to hit Guam was not a game-changer, but that the new missile could be a step along the way.

&quot;What would change the strategic balance is an ICBM capable of reaching the US mainland,&quot; he said.

&quot;This is not that missile but it might be a testbed, demonstrating technologies and systems to be used in future ICBMs. It may be closer to an operational ICBM than had been previously estimated.&quot;

KCNA cited Kim as saying that the US strategy of what it called &quot;militarily browbeating only weak countries and nations which have no nukes&quot; would never work on the North.

&quot;If the US dares opt for a military provocation against the DPRK, we are ready to counter it,&quot; it said.

- &#39;Flagrant menace&#39; - 
The United States called for tougher sanctions against the North, with the White House saying it &quot;has been a flagrant menace for far too long&quot;.

The missile came down &quot;so close to Russian soil... the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased&quot;, it added in a statement.

Russia&#39;s defence ministry later said the missile landed about 500 kilometres from its territory and posed no threat.&nbsp;

Washington and Tokyo called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major ally and main trading partner, which has been under growing US pressure to help rein in its wayward neighbour, urged restraint.

&quot;All relevant parties should exercise restraint and refrain from further aggravating tensions in the region,&quot; said Beijing&#39;s foreign ministry.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Sunday's launch was of a 'new ground-to-ground medium long-range strategic ballistic rocket' named the Hwasong-12, the official Korea Central News Agency said

North Korea said Monday it had successfully tested a new type of rocket in its latest missile launch, as analysts said it showed an unprecedented range that brought US bases in the Pacific within reach. Sunday's launch was of a "new ground-to-ground medium long-range strategic ballistic rocket" named the Hwasong-12, the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Leader Kim Jong-Un personally oversaw the test, it said, and "hugged officials in the field of rocket research, saying that they worked hard to achieve a great thing". The isolated North is under multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, which have triggered global alarm. The missile was launched on an unusually high trajectory, with KCNA saying it flew to an altitude of 2,111.5 kilometres and travelled 787 kilometres before coming down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). That suggests a range of 4,500 kilometres (2,800 miles) if flown for maximum distance, analysts said. It "represents a level of performance never before seen from a North Korean missile", aerospace engineering specialist John Schilling wrote on the respected 38 North website. It appeared to demonstrate an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that could "reliably strike the US base at Guam" in the Pacific, he said, and "more importantly, may represent a substantial advance to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)". 'Won't happen' The North says it needs atomic weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion and has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year. Its goal is to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States -- something President Donald Trump has vowed "won't happen". Tensions between the two reached a peak in recent weeks, with Washington saying military action was an option under consideration and Pyongyang issuing threats of its own, sending fears of conflict spiralling. Trump later appeared to hold open the door to negotiations, saying he would be "honoured" to meet Kim and called him a "smart cookie". Last week the South elected a new president, Moon Jae-In, who advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang and said at his inauguration that he was willing "in the right circumstances" to visit the North to ease tensions. But he slammed the latest missile test as a "reckless provocation" after holding an emergency meeting with national security advisers. Dialogue would be possible "only if the North changes its attitude", he said. Strategic balance In April the North put dozens of missiles on show at a giant military parade through the streets of Pyongyang, including one that appeared to be the type of device launched on Sunday. The test "proved to the full all the technical specifications of the rocket" which was "capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead", KCNA said. There is no evidence yet that Pyongyang has mastered miniaturisation sufficiently to fit a nuclear weapon into a missile nose cone, or the re-entry technology needed to ensure it survives returning into Earth's atmosphere. But it described another launch earlier this year as a drill for an attack on US bases in Japan -- which has long been within its range -- and David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists said the Hwasong-12 missile "has considerably longer range than its current missiles". Schilling said the ability to hit Guam was not a game-changer, but that the new missile could be a step along the way. "What would change the strategic balance is an ICBM capable of reaching the US mainland," he said. "This is not that missile but it might be a testbed, demonstrating technologies and systems to be used in future ICBMs. It may be closer to an operational ICBM than had been previously estimated." KCNA cited Kim as saying that the US strategy of what it called "militarily browbeating only weak countries and nations which have no nukes" would never work on the North. "If the US dares opt for a military provocation against the DPRK, we are ready to counter it," it said. - 'Flagrant menace' - The United States called for tougher sanctions against the North, with the White House saying it "has been a flagrant menace for far too long". The missile came down "so close to Russian soil... the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased", it added in a statement. Russia's defence ministry later said the missile landed about 500 kilometres from its territory and posed no threat. Washington and Tokyo called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. China, Pyongyang's sole major ally and main trading partner, which has been under growing US pressure to help rein in its wayward neighbour, urged restraint. "All relevant parties should exercise restraint and refrain from further aggravating tensions in the region," said Beijing's foreign ministry. (AFP)

US bases in Pacific within range of North Korea's 'new missile': Experts

US President Donald Trump is calling for tougher sanctions on North Korea following its latest ballistic missile test.

&quot;Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea,&quot; the White House said in a brief statement.

The missile impacted &quot;so close to Russian soil -&ndash; in fact, closer to Russia than to Japan -&ndash; the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased.&quot;

North Korea &quot;has been a flagrant menace for far too long,&quot; the statement read. &quot;South Korea and Japan have been watching this situation closely with us.&quot;

The statement emphasises that the United States &quot;maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea.&quot;&nbsp;

(AFP)

'Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea,' the White House said in a brief statement

US President Donald Trump is calling for tougher sanctions on North Korea following its latest ballistic missile test. "Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea," the White House said in a brief statement. The missile impacted "so close to Russian soil -– in fact, closer to Russia than to Japan -– the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased." North Korea "has been a flagrant menace for far too long," the statement read. "South Korea and Japan have been watching this situation closely with us." The statement emphasises that the United States "maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea." (AFP)

Trump calls for stronger sanctions on North Korea after missile test

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping expressed concern about rising tensions on the Korean peninsula after a North Korean missile test on Sunday, Putin&#39;s spokesman said.

Meeting on the sidelines of an international forum in Beijing, Putin and Xi &quot;discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula in detail&quot; and &quot;both parties expressed their concern over the escalation of tensions,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

According to China&#39;s official Xinhua news agency, Xi said during the meeting that Moscow and Beijing have played the role of a &quot;ballast stone&quot; in safeguarding regional and global peace and stability.

Xinhua did not publish other remarks.

Putin and Xi met after the opening ceremony of a summit on the Chinese president&#39;s One Belt, One Road initative -- a massive global trade infrastructure project to connect China to Asian neighbours, Europe and Africa.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Putin and Xi met on the sidelines of OBOR

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping expressed concern about rising tensions on the Korean peninsula after a North Korean missile test on Sunday, Putin's spokesman said. Meeting on the sidelines of an international forum in Beijing, Putin and Xi "discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula in detail" and "both parties expressed their concern over the escalation of tensions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. According to China's official Xinhua news agency, Xi said during the meeting that Moscow and Beijing have played the role of a "ballast stone" in safeguarding regional and global peace and stability. Xinhua did not publish other remarks. Putin and Xi met after the opening ceremony of a summit on the Chinese president's One Belt, One Road initative -- a massive global trade infrastructure project to connect China to Asian neighbours, Europe and Africa. (AFP)

Russia, China worried about rising tensions over North Korea

North Korea fired a ballistic missile Sunday in an apparent bid to test the South&#39;s new liberal president and the US which have both signalled an interest in negotiations to ease months of tensions.

The missile flew more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, South Korea&#39;s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The US Pacific Command said it did not appear to be an intercontinental ballistic missile.

New South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who was inaugurated on Wednesday, slammed the test as a &quot;reckless provocation&quot; after holding an emergency meeting with national security advisors.

He said the government strongly condemned this &quot;grave challenge to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the international community,&quot; his spokesman Yoon Young-Chan said.

Moon, unlike his conservative predecessors, advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang but warned Sunday that dialogue would be possible &quot;only if the North changes its behaviour&quot;.

Moon had said in his inauguration speech that he was willing to visit Pyongyang &quot;in the right circumstances&quot; to defuse tensions on the peninsula, with Pyongyang and Washington exchanging hostile rhetoric.

&quot;The North is apparently trying to test Moon and see how his North Korea policy as well as policy coordination between the South and the US will take shape,&quot; said Yang Moo-Jin, professor at the University of North Korea Studies in Seoul.

&#39;Seeking leverage&#39; 
The launch was also aimed at &quot;maximising the North&#39;s political leverage&quot; ahead of possible negotiations with the US, as Pyongyang and Washington both recently signalled they were open to talks, he added.

&quot;The North wants to show before negotiations that their precious, powerful weapon is not something they would give up so easily,&quot; Yang said.

US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against the North but recently appears to have softened his stance, saying he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet the North&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions.

Choe Son-Hui, a senior official at the North&#39;s foreign ministry handling its US policy, also said Saturday the North would be willing to hold talks with the US if the conditions are right.&nbsp;

Washington has been looking to China for help in reining in Kim and the missile test is likely to embarrass Beijing, which is hosting a summit Sunday to promote its ambitious global trade infrastructure project.

China, the isolated North&#39;s sole major ally and economic lifeline, has been reluctant to exert pressure to upset the status quo in Pyongyang and risk an influx of refugees from its neighbour.

&#39;Fast progress&#39; 
The latest test was also the North&#39;s first launch since a controversial US missile defence system deployed in the South became operational on May 2 and follows a failed April 29 ballistic missile test.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed the latest missile launch as &quot;totally unacceptable&quot; and a &quot;grave threat&quot; to Tokyo.

&quot;We strongly protest against North Korea,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The North has staged two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the start of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland.

Most experts have doubted that the North has developed an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with that range.

But many say the isolated nation has made a great progress in its nuclear and missile capabilities since Kim took power after the death of his father and longtime ruler, Kim Jong-Il, in 2011.

Yang said Sunday&#39;s launch showed &quot;fast progress&quot; in Pyongyang&#39;s missile capability.&nbsp;

The missile was fired from a site near the northwestern city of Kusong. A previous test at the same site in February sent a missile 500 kilometres, far less than Sunday&#39;s launch.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The missile flew more than 700 kilometres before landing in the Sea of Japan, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said

North Korea fired a ballistic missile Sunday in an apparent bid to test the South's new liberal president and the US which have both signalled an interest in negotiations to ease months of tensions. The missile flew more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The US Pacific Command said it did not appear to be an intercontinental ballistic missile. New South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who was inaugurated on Wednesday, slammed the test as a "reckless provocation" after holding an emergency meeting with national security advisors. He said the government strongly condemned this "grave challenge to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the international community," his spokesman Yoon Young-Chan said. Moon, unlike his conservative predecessors, advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang but warned Sunday that dialogue would be possible "only if the North changes its behaviour". Moon had said in his inauguration speech that he was willing to visit Pyongyang "in the right circumstances" to defuse tensions on the peninsula, with Pyongyang and Washington exchanging hostile rhetoric. "The North is apparently trying to test Moon and see how his North Korea policy as well as policy coordination between the South and the US will take shape," said Yang Moo-Jin, professor at the University of North Korea Studies in Seoul. 'Seeking leverage' The launch was also aimed at "maximising the North's political leverage" ahead of possible negotiations with the US, as Pyongyang and Washington both recently signalled they were open to talks, he added. "The North wants to show before negotiations that their precious, powerful weapon is not something they would give up so easily," Yang said. US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against the North but recently appears to have softened his stance, saying he would be "honoured" to meet the North's leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions. Choe Son-Hui, a senior official at the North's foreign ministry handling its US policy, also said Saturday the North would be willing to hold talks with the US if the conditions are right. Washington has been looking to China for help in reining in Kim and the missile test is likely to embarrass Beijing, which is hosting a summit Sunday to promote its ambitious global trade infrastructure project. China, the isolated North's sole major ally and economic lifeline, has been reluctant to exert pressure to upset the status quo in Pyongyang and risk an influx of refugees from its neighbour. 'Fast progress' The latest test was also the North's first launch since a controversial US missile defence system deployed in the South became operational on May 2 and follows a failed April 29 ballistic missile test. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe slammed the latest missile launch as "totally unacceptable" and a "grave threat" to Tokyo. "We strongly protest against North Korea," he said. The North has staged two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches since the start of last year in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland. Most experts have doubted that the North has developed an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with that range. But many say the isolated nation has made a great progress in its nuclear and missile capabilities since Kim took power after the death of his father and longtime ruler, Kim Jong-Il, in 2011. Yang said Sunday's launch showed "fast progress" in Pyongyang's missile capability. The missile was fired from a site near the northwestern city of Kusong. A previous test at the same site in February sent a missile 500 kilometres, far less than Sunday's launch. (AFP)

North Korea fires another missile

A senior North Korean diplomat who handles relations with the United States said on Saturday Pyongyang would have dialogue with the U.S. administration if conditions were right, South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency reported.

Choe Son Hui, North Korea&#39;s foreign ministry director general for U.S. affairs, made the comment to reporters in Beijing as she was travelling home from Norway, Yonhap said.

&quot;We&#39;ll have dialogue if the conditions are there,&quot; she told reporters when asked if the North was preparing to hold talks with the Trump administration, according to Yonhap.

When asked if North Korea was also preparing to talk with the new government in South Korea, of liberal President Moon Jae-in, Choe said: &quot;We&#39;ll see.&quot;

The comments by Choe, who is a veteran member of the North&#39;s team of nuclear negotiators, came amid stepped up international efforts to press North Korea and ease tension over its pursuit of nuclear arms.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned in an interview with Reuters in late April that a &quot;major, major conflict&quot; with the North was possible, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Trump later said he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet the North&#39;s leader, Kim Jong Un, under the right conditions.

Choe was in Norway for so-called Track Two talks with former U.S. government officials, according to Japanese media, the latest in a series of such meetings.

A source with knowledge of the latest meeting said at least one former U.S. government official took part but the U.S. administration was not involved.

South Korea&#39;s Moon, elected this week on a platform of a moderate approach to North Korea, has said he would be willing to go to Pyongyang under the right circumstances and said dialogue must be used in parallel with sanctions to resolve the problem over North Korea&#39;s weapons.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. and U.S. sanctions and is also developing long-range missiles to deliver atomic weapons.

It says it needs such weapons to defend itself against U.S. aggression.

(Reuters)

Choe Son Hui, North Korea's foreign ministry director general for US affairs, made the comment to reporters in Beijing as she was travelling home from Norway

A senior North Korean diplomat who handles relations with the United States said on Saturday Pyongyang would have dialogue with the U.S. administration if conditions were right, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Choe Son Hui, North Korea's foreign ministry director general for U.S. affairs, made the comment to reporters in Beijing as she was travelling home from Norway, Yonhap said. "We'll have dialogue if the conditions are there," she told reporters when asked if the North was preparing to hold talks with the Trump administration, according to Yonhap. When asked if North Korea was also preparing to talk with the new government in South Korea, of liberal President Moon Jae-in, Choe said: "We'll see." The comments by Choe, who is a veteran member of the North's team of nuclear negotiators, came amid stepped up international efforts to press North Korea and ease tension over its pursuit of nuclear arms. U.S. President Donald Trump warned in an interview with Reuters in late April that a "major, major conflict" with the North was possible, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute over its nuclear and missile programmes. Trump later said he would be "honoured" to meet the North's leader, Kim Jong Un, under the right conditions. Choe was in Norway for so-called Track Two talks with former U.S. government officials, according to Japanese media, the latest in a series of such meetings. A source with knowledge of the latest meeting said at least one former U.S. government official took part but the U.S. administration was not involved. South Korea's Moon, elected this week on a platform of a moderate approach to North Korea, has said he would be willing to go to Pyongyang under the right circumstances and said dialogue must be used in parallel with sanctions to resolve the problem over North Korea's weapons. North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. and U.S. sanctions and is also developing long-range missiles to deliver atomic weapons. It says it needs such weapons to defend itself against U.S. aggression. (Reuters)

North Korea says will have dialogue with US under right conditions: Yonhap

South Korea&#39;s new president was sworn in today, just a day after a landslide election victory, and immediately declared his willingness to visit Pyongyang amid high tensions with the nuclear-armed North.

Left-leaning Moon Jae-In, a former human rights lawyer, backs engagement with North Korea in the quest for peace -- in contrast to the threatening rhetoric from the Trump administration in recent weeks.

&quot;If needed I will fly to Washington immediately,&quot; Moon said in an inauguration speech after taking the oath of office in front of lawmakers at Seoul&#39;s National Assembly building.

&quot;I will also go to Beijing and Tokyo and even Pyongyang in the right circumstances.&quot;

Moon will have a difficult diplomatic path to tread in his approach to the North, which dreams of a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States, and has vast artillery forces trained on Seoul.

At the same time the South is embroiled in disputes with China over a US missile defence system, and former colonial occupier Japan over wartime history.

He named former journalist Lee Nak-Yon, a four-term lawmaker, as prime minister -- a largely coordinating role and appointed a new head of the National Intelligence Service, Suh Hoon, who played a key role in preparing the past two inter- Korea summits of 2000 and 2007.

Domestically, Moon begins his term facing multiple challenges, including the aftermath of the huge corruption scandal that saw his conservative predecessor Park Geun-Hye impeached and swept him to power, but leaves the country bitterly divided.

Ahead of the swearing-in, Moon met leading lawmakers of Park&#39;s Liberty Korea party -- which has repeatedly accused him of being a Pyongyang sympathiser -- to &quot;beg&quot; for their cooperation.

&quot;I will be a president to all people,&quot; he said in his speech, promising to &quot;serve even those who did not support me&quot; and remain &quot;at eye-level with the people&quot;.

After the low-key ceremony he was driven through the streets of the capital to the Blue House, standing in the back of his limousine and waving to supporters.

Moon took 41.1 per cent of the vote in yesterday&#39;s election, far ahead of Hong Joon-Pyo of Park&#39;s Liberty Korea party, on 24.0 per cent, and centrist Ahn Cheol-Soo on 21.4 per cent.

The 64-year-old is bespectacled, reserved and mild- mannered, although some critics describe him as bland, indecisive and uninspiring.

&quot;I liked the no-frills inauguration event and his down- to-earth style,&quot; said Lee Jeong-Mi, a Seoul office worker who watched him pass by. &quot;He really looks like a true people&#39;s president.&quot;

Since the beginning of last year the North -- which says it needs atomic weapons to defend itself against invasion -- has mounted two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches.

In recent months the Trump administration has suggested a military option is on the table, escalating fears of conflict -- although the US president changed tone last week, saying he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet the North&#39;s young ruler, Kim Jong-Un.

Moon is expected to have his first conversation with Trump in a phone call Wednesday, Yonhap news agency said, citing unnamed Seoul diplomats.

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Moon on his election, saying he would be willing to work with him on a basis of &quot;mutual understanding and mutual respect&quot;, according to China&#39;s official Xinhua news agency.

The phrasing is Beijing&#39;s diplomatic code for acceptance of its stance. The South&#39;s biggest trading partner, China has been infuriated by the deployment of the US anti-missile system THAAD in the country, which it sees as a threat to its own military capability.

It has taken a series of moves against South Korean firms seen as economic retaliation.

At home, Moon will have to deal with slowing growth, soaring unemployment and public frustration over widening inequality in wealth and opportunities.

The stellar expansion that pulled a war-ravaged country out of poverty has slowed down in recent years as the economy matured, with the jobless rate among those aged under 30 hitting record highs.

Such frustrations fuelled anger over Park&#39;s scandal, which exposed the cosy and corrupt ties between regulators and powerful conglomerates that have endured for decades.

The family-run giants, called chaebols, dominate Asia&#39;s fourth-largest economy but have come under fire in recent years for running their global businesses like personal fiefdoms, with minimum scrutiny by investors and regulators.

(AFP)

The former human rights lawyer backs engagement with North Korea

South Korea's new president was sworn in today, just a day after a landslide election victory, and immediately declared his willingness to visit Pyongyang amid high tensions with the nuclear-armed North. Left-leaning Moon Jae-In, a former human rights lawyer, backs engagement with North Korea in the quest for peace -- in contrast to the threatening rhetoric from the Trump administration in recent weeks. "If needed I will fly to Washington immediately," Moon said in an inauguration speech after taking the oath of office in front of lawmakers at Seoul's National Assembly building. "I will also go to Beijing and Tokyo and even Pyongyang in the right circumstances." Moon will have a difficult diplomatic path to tread in his approach to the North, which dreams of a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States, and has vast artillery forces trained on Seoul. At the same time the South is embroiled in disputes with China over a US missile defence system, and former colonial occupier Japan over wartime history. He named former journalist Lee Nak-Yon, a four-term lawmaker, as prime minister -- a largely coordinating role and appointed a new head of the National Intelligence Service, Suh Hoon, who played a key role in preparing the past two inter- Korea summits of 2000 and 2007. Domestically, Moon begins his term facing multiple challenges, including the aftermath of the huge corruption scandal that saw his conservative predecessor Park Geun-Hye impeached and swept him to power, but leaves the country bitterly divided. Ahead of the swearing-in, Moon met leading lawmakers of Park's Liberty Korea party -- which has repeatedly accused him of being a Pyongyang sympathiser -- to "beg" for their cooperation. "I will be a president to all people," he said in his speech, promising to "serve even those who did not support me" and remain "at eye-level with the people". After the low-key ceremony he was driven through the streets of the capital to the Blue House, standing in the back of his limousine and waving to supporters. Moon took 41.1 per cent of the vote in yesterday's election, far ahead of Hong Joon-Pyo of Park's Liberty Korea party, on 24.0 per cent, and centrist Ahn Cheol-Soo on 21.4 per cent. The 64-year-old is bespectacled, reserved and mild- mannered, although some critics describe him as bland, indecisive and uninspiring. "I liked the no-frills inauguration event and his down- to-earth style," said Lee Jeong-Mi, a Seoul office worker who watched him pass by. "He really looks like a true people's president." Since the beginning of last year the North -- which says it needs atomic weapons to defend itself against invasion -- has mounted two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches. In recent months the Trump administration has suggested a military option is on the table, escalating fears of conflict -- although the US president changed tone last week, saying he would be "honoured" to meet the North's young ruler, Kim Jong-Un. Moon is expected to have his first conversation with Trump in a phone call Wednesday, Yonhap news agency said, citing unnamed Seoul diplomats. Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Moon on his election, saying he would be willing to work with him on a basis of "mutual understanding and mutual respect", according to China's official Xinhua news agency. The phrasing is Beijing's diplomatic code for acceptance of its stance. The South's biggest trading partner, China has been infuriated by the deployment of the US anti-missile system THAAD in the country, which it sees as a threat to its own military capability. It has taken a series of moves against South Korean firms seen as economic retaliation. At home, Moon will have to deal with slowing growth, soaring unemployment and public frustration over widening inequality in wealth and opportunities. The stellar expansion that pulled a war-ravaged country out of poverty has slowed down in recent years as the economy matured, with the jobless rate among those aged under 30 hitting record highs. Such frustrations fuelled anger over Park's scandal, which exposed the cosy and corrupt ties between regulators and powerful conglomerates that have endured for decades. The family-run giants, called chaebols, dominate Asia's fourth-largest economy but have come under fire in recent years for running their global businesses like personal fiefdoms, with minimum scrutiny by investors and regulators. (AFP)

Moon Jae-In sworn in as new South Korea President, says willing to go to North

The election of South Korea&#39;s new president Moon Jae-In heralds a sea change in Seoul&#39;s approach towards the nuclear-armed North -- and puts it on a potential collision course with Washington.

The left-leaning new leader -- a former human rights lawyer -- favours engagement and dialogue with Pyongyang over its atomic and missile ambitions.

In contrast, Donald Trump&#39;s administration has called for stepped up sanctions and warned military action is an &quot;option on the table&quot;, sending fears of conflict spiralling.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty and the two Koreas are divided by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), one of the most heavily fortified places on Earth.&nbsp;

The isolated, impoverished North is accused of widespread rights abuses and dreams of a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States.

It has carried out five atomic tests -- two of them last year -- and multiple rocket launches.

The last time South Korea had a liberal leadership it embraced a &quot;Sunshine Policy&quot; of rapprochement with Pyongyang and, as a close aide to then president Roh Moo-Hyun, Moon helped arrange the last inter-Korean summit with late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.

&quot;I would go anywhere in the world -- including North Korea itself -- if doing so would solve the North&#39;s nuclear problem,&quot; Moon told reporters during the presidential campaign. &quot;I would meet anyone for that.&quot;

He also advocates resumption of some inter-Korean projects shuttered under the conservative governments of the last 10 years, including the Kaesong joint industrial zone, where South Korean firms employed Northern workers.

But his scope for manoeuvre will be limited, analysts say.

Under Moon, Seoul&#39;s policy towards the North will change &quot;substantially&quot;, Robert Kelly of Pusan National University told AFP, &quot;but less substantially than many people on the South Korean left and Moon himself would like&quot;.

Unlike 20 years ago, when the Sunshine policy was first introduced, the North now has nuclear weapons, an increasingly advanced missile programme, and a reputation as a drug manufacturer and counterfeiter.

&quot;That doesn&rsquo;t mean we shouldn&rsquo;t talk to North Korea,&quot; Kelly said, but if Moon wants to pursue re-opening Kaesong or a &#39;Sunshine Policy 2&#39;, &quot;he&#39;s going to collide with the American government where there is a pretty solid consensus right now that North Korea is a genuine global menace&quot;.

&#39;Good cop&#39; 
The new president wants the South to have a greater say in its alliance with security guarantor the United States, which has 28,500 troops in the country.

Their presence is also in Washington&#39;s own interests, he said. &quot;They are important not only to our own security but also to the global strategy of the US.&quot;

He has expressed ambivalence over the US THAAD missile defence system, whose deployment in the South has infuriated China, and which Trump has demanded Seoul pay for.

But its accelerated installation -- it was declared operational last week -- meant he can now present it to opponents as a &quot;fait accompli&quot;, analysts say.

To his critics, any concession to Pyongyang is dangerous and they accuse Moon -- whose parents fled the North during the Korean War -- of being a Communist sympathiser.

Others suggest his presidential victory could give the US room for manoeuvre.

Trump has moderated his tone more recently, saying he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and Cheong Seong-Chang of the private Sejong Institute told AFP that Washington was &quot;groping for an exit following all the huffing and puffing over the past few months&quot;.

&quot;Moon&#39;s policy of engagement may appear to clash with Trump&#39;s line of heaping utmost pressure and sanctions, but they are complementary to each other as Seoul may play a &#39;good cop&#39; role here,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Bomb shelter 
South Koreans are accustomed to living under the threat from the North, and opinions are divided on how to handle Pyongyang.

With corruption and the economy uppermost in voters&#39; minds, surveys showed that only around 18 percent considered security the most important issue in the election.

And engagement has its backers.

Gyodong island lies on the DMZ, with the North barely two kilometres away at its closest point, and its residents are subject to a constant barrage of propaganda broadcasts from both sides.

One of the polling stations where voters cast their ballots this week stands just a few hundred metres from a new municipal facility under construction -- a giant bomb shelter with thick blast doors.

As well as its nuclear arsenal, Pyongyang has a huge conventional military at its disposal, including vast artillery forces within range of Seoul.

Resident Lee Mee-jung declined to tell AFP who she voted for.

But she said: &quot;We&#39;re in close quarters with North Korea. So we need a more peaceful policy of talking to each other so that war doesn&#39;t break out.&quot;&nbsp;

(AFP)

The left-leaning new leader -- a former human rights lawyer -- favours engagement and dialogue with Pyongyang

The election of South Korea's new president Moon Jae-In heralds a sea change in Seoul's approach towards the nuclear-armed North -- and puts it on a potential collision course with Washington. The left-leaning new leader -- a former human rights lawyer -- favours engagement and dialogue with Pyongyang over its atomic and missile ambitions. In contrast, Donald Trump's administration has called for stepped up sanctions and warned military action is an "option on the table", sending fears of conflict spiralling. The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty and the two Koreas are divided by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), one of the most heavily fortified places on Earth. The isolated, impoverished North is accused of widespread rights abuses and dreams of a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States. It has carried out five atomic tests -- two of them last year -- and multiple rocket launches. The last time South Korea had a liberal leadership it embraced a "Sunshine Policy" of rapprochement with Pyongyang and, as a close aide to then president Roh Moo-Hyun, Moon helped arrange the last inter-Korean summit with late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. "I would go anywhere in the world -- including North Korea itself -- if doing so would solve the North's nuclear problem," Moon told reporters during the presidential campaign. "I would meet anyone for that." He also advocates resumption of some inter-Korean projects shuttered under the conservative governments of the last 10 years, including the Kaesong joint industrial zone, where South Korean firms employed Northern workers. But his scope for manoeuvre will be limited, analysts say. Under Moon, Seoul's policy towards the North will change "substantially", Robert Kelly of Pusan National University told AFP, "but less substantially than many people on the South Korean left and Moon himself would like". Unlike 20 years ago, when the Sunshine policy was first introduced, the North now has nuclear weapons, an increasingly advanced missile programme, and a reputation as a drug manufacturer and counterfeiter. "That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk to North Korea," Kelly said, but if Moon wants to pursue re-opening Kaesong or a 'Sunshine Policy 2', "he's going to collide with the American government where there is a pretty solid consensus right now that North Korea is a genuine global menace". 'Good cop' The new president wants the South to have a greater say in its alliance with security guarantor the United States, which has 28,500 troops in the country. Their presence is also in Washington's own interests, he said. "They are important not only to our own security but also to the global strategy of the US." He has expressed ambivalence over the US THAAD missile defence system, whose deployment in the South has infuriated China, and which Trump has demanded Seoul pay for. But its accelerated installation -- it was declared operational last week -- meant he can now present it to opponents as a "fait accompli", analysts say. To his critics, any concession to Pyongyang is dangerous and they accuse Moon -- whose parents fled the North during the Korean War -- of being a Communist sympathiser. Others suggest his presidential victory could give the US room for manoeuvre. Trump has moderated his tone more recently, saying he would be "honoured" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and Cheong Seong-Chang of the private Sejong Institute told AFP that Washington was "groping for an exit following all the huffing and puffing over the past few months". "Moon's policy of engagement may appear to clash with Trump's line of heaping utmost pressure and sanctions, but they are complementary to each other as Seoul may play a 'good cop' role here," he said. Bomb shelter South Koreans are accustomed to living under the threat from the North, and opinions are divided on how to handle Pyongyang. With corruption and the economy uppermost in voters' minds, surveys showed that only around 18 percent considered security the most important issue in the election. And engagement has its backers. Gyodong island lies on the DMZ, with the North barely two kilometres away at its closest point, and its residents are subject to a constant barrage of propaganda broadcasts from both sides. One of the polling stations where voters cast their ballots this week stands just a few hundred metres from a new municipal facility under construction -- a giant bomb shelter with thick blast doors. As well as its nuclear arsenal, Pyongyang has a huge conventional military at its disposal, including vast artillery forces within range of Seoul. Resident Lee Mee-jung declined to tell AFP who she voted for. But she said: "We're in close quarters with North Korea. So we need a more peaceful policy of talking to each other so that war doesn't break out." (AFP)

South Korea's Moon to seek change with North, could put it on collision course with US

A foreign-funded university in North Korea confirmed Monday the arrest of a US citizen -- the second person linked to the school held in two weeks amid tensions on the peninsula.

The detention of Kim Hak-Song means that the North is now holding four US citizens, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile ambitions.

The North detained Kim on Saturday for &quot;hostile acts&quot;, the official KCNA news agency said Sunday, adding he had worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST).

The school -- founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010 -- is known to have a number of American faculty members. Students are generally the children of the country&#39;s elite.

PUST confirmed Kim&#39;s arrest, saying he was detained as he was about to leave the country after a visit of several weeks.

&quot;During that visit, Mr Kim was at PUST to do agricultural development work with PUST&#39;s experimental farm,&quot; it said in a statement.

It did not comment on the reason for Kim&#39;s arrest but said it was &quot;not connected in any way with the work of PUST.&quot;

Two weeks ago the North arrested Tony Kim, a US citizen and accounting professor who was lecturing at PUST, accusing him of trying to &quot;overturn&quot; the regime.

Little is known about Kim Hak-Song. &nbsp;

The arrests of two Americans in such a short span of time comes as Pyongyang exchanges hostile rhetoric with the US over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programmes.&nbsp;

Pyongyang has carried out two nuclear tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead to the US mainland.&nbsp;

Washington has suggested military action could be on the table but President Donald Trump has has softened his message more recently, saying he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet the North&#39;s young leader, Kim Jong-Un.&nbsp;

The four American citizens held in the North also include college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul, who received lengthy jail terms for &quot;crimes against the state&quot; and spying, respectively.

The North has occasionally jailed US citizens and released them only after visits by high-profile political figures including former president Bill Clinton.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The detention of Kim Hak-Song means that the North is now holding four US citizens

A foreign-funded university in North Korea confirmed Monday the arrest of a US citizen -- the second person linked to the school held in two weeks amid tensions on the peninsula. The detention of Kim Hak-Song means that the North is now holding four US citizens, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile ambitions. The North detained Kim on Saturday for "hostile acts", the official KCNA news agency said Sunday, adding he had worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). The school -- founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010 -- is known to have a number of American faculty members. Students are generally the children of the country's elite. PUST confirmed Kim's arrest, saying he was detained as he was about to leave the country after a visit of several weeks. "During that visit, Mr Kim was at PUST to do agricultural development work with PUST's experimental farm," it said in a statement. It did not comment on the reason for Kim's arrest but said it was "not connected in any way with the work of PUST." Two weeks ago the North arrested Tony Kim, a US citizen and accounting professor who was lecturing at PUST, accusing him of trying to "overturn" the regime. Little is known about Kim Hak-Song. The arrests of two Americans in such a short span of time comes as Pyongyang exchanges hostile rhetoric with the US over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programmes. Pyongyang has carried out two nuclear tests and dozens of missile launches since the beginning of last year in its quest to build a rocket capable of delivering an atomic warhead to the US mainland. Washington has suggested military action could be on the table but President Donald Trump has has softened his message more recently, saying he would be "honoured" to meet the North's young leader, Kim Jong-Un. The four American citizens held in the North also include college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul, who received lengthy jail terms for "crimes against the state" and spying, respectively. The North has occasionally jailed US citizens and released them only after visits by high-profile political figures including former president Bill Clinton. (AFP)

North Korea arrests another US citizens amid tensions in flashpoint region

&nbsp;The US&nbsp;House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Thursday to tighten&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;on&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state.

The vote was 419 to 1.

Supporters said the legislation was intended to send a strong message to&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, amid international concern over the escalation of its nuclear programme.

The measure would have to be approved by the Senate before it could be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law.

Although legislation addressing&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has been introduced in the Senate, there was no immediate word on when or if the Senate might take up a bill.

Any new US&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;would likely affect China, the&nbsp;North&#39;s most important trade partner.

While China has been angered by&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile tests, it has signed up for increasingly tough UN&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against it, and says it is committed to enforcing them.

Asked about the latest US&nbsp;legislation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated that China opposed other countries using their own domestic law to impose unilateralsanctions.

With the situation tense on the&nbsp;Korean Peninsula, all sides need to exercise restraint and not irritate each other to avoid the situation worsening, he said.

(Reuters)

The US House of Representatives approved a legislation targeting shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Thursday to tighten sanctions on North Korea by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state. The vote was 419 to 1. Supporters said the legislation was intended to send a strong message to North Korea, amid international concern over the escalation of its nuclear programme. The measure would have to be approved by the Senate before it could be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law. Although legislation addressing North Korea has been introduced in the Senate, there was no immediate word on when or if the Senate might take up a bill. Any new US sanctions against North Korea would likely affect China, the North's most important trade partner. While China has been angered by North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, it has signed up for increasingly tough UN sanctions against it, and says it is committed to enforcing them. Asked about the latest US legislation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated that China opposed other countries using their own domestic law to impose unilateralsanctions. With the situation tense on the Korean Peninsula, all sides need to exercise restraint and not irritate each other to avoid the situation worsening, he said. (Reuters)

US House tightens sanctions on nuclear-armed North Korea

North Korea on Friday accused the&nbsp;CIA&nbsp;and Seoul&#39;s intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate the isolated country&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un with a biochemical weapon, amid heightened tensions in the region.

In a statement the powerful ministry of state security, said it had foiled a &quot;vicious plot&quot; by a &quot;hideous terrorists&#39; group&quot; to attack the North&#39;s &quot;supreme leadership&quot;.

The accusations come with the US and North trading threats over the latter&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes, and as Washington considers whether to re-designate Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism.

That follows the killing of Kim&#39;s estranged half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using the banned nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur international airport.&nbsp;

Both Malaysia and South Korea have blamed the North for the assassination, which retorts that the accusations are an attempt to smear it.

The security ministry statement, carried on the North&#39;s official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), said the&nbsp;CIA&nbsp;and the South&#39;s intelligence had suborned, bribed and blackmailed a North Korean citizen named only as Kim to carry out the attack.

Possible locations included the mausoleum where Kim Jong-Un&#39;s father and grandfather -- the North&#39;s founder -- lie in state, or a military parade.

Such an operation would be extremely difficult to prepare and carry out successfully. The North&#39;s leader is surrounded by tight security at all times, and Pyongyang maintains a gigantic surveillance system over its own population that is ingrained at every level of society, where open dissent is unknown.

The&nbsp;CIA&nbsp;told its agent, named Kim, it had access to radioactive and &quot;nano poisonous&quot; substances whose lethal results would appear only after six to 12 months, the statement said.

Kim -- described as &quot;human scum&quot; -- received payments totalling at least $740,000 and was given satellite transceivers and other materials and equipment, it said.

He had multiple contacts with South Korean intelligence personnel, and an accomplice who had a Chinese-sounding name, Xu Guanghai of the Qingdao Nazca Trade Co.

Checks on China&#39;s National Enterprise Credit Information system show that a company of that name was formed on March 7 this year, with a Xu Guanghai named as its legal representative, and business areas including &quot;chemical products&quot;.

No details were given in the ministry statement of how the supposed plot was uncovered, or of Kim&#39;s fate. But in a potential sign of an internal purge, it said that the ministry will &quot;ferret out and mercilessly destroy the terrorists&quot;.&nbsp;

&#39;Empire of evil&#39;

The lurid accusations come with Pyongyang and Washington at loggerheads over the North&#39;s banned weapons programmes, which have seen it subjected to multiple sets of United Nations Security Council sanctions.

Pyongyang, which says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion, has carried out a series of missile launches and threatened a sixth atomic test, while the administration of new US President Donald Trump has said that military action was an &quot;option on the table&quot; -- raising fears of a spiralling conflict.

The alleged plot was a &quot;hideous crime&quot; the security ministry said, and tantamount to &quot;the declaration of a war&quot;.&nbsp;

The statement came hours after the US House of Representatives in Washington voted to broaden US sanctions against the North.

The measure, which now heads for the Senate, also gave the Trump administration 90 days to determine whether Pyongyang should be re-designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, after it was removed from the list in 2008.

The North Korean statement described the US as a state sponsor of terrorism itself, and an &quot;empire of evil&quot;.

Analysts said the accusations could be a pre-emptive attempt to try to dissuade Washington from any attempt at a surgical strike on its leadership, as suggested by some commentators.

The North believes the US and South are seeking to assassinate Kim, said Professor Koh Yu-Hwan of Dongguk University.

It was &quot;unimaginable that individuals can get close enough to Kim to harm him in light of supertight security there&quot;, he told AFP.

But the allegation was also &quot;aimed at keeping its people on their toes and strengthening its grip on them&quot;, and intended &quot;to distance itself from the assassination of Jong-Nam who was killed by a chemical weapon&quot;.

North Korean commandos infiltrated Seoul in January 1968 in a failed attempt to assassinate its then leader Park Chung-Hee. Bullet holes are still visible on a tree above the presidential Blue House.

(AFP)

According to North Korean officials, the?CIA?told its agent, named Kim, it had access to radioactive and "nano poisonous" substances whose lethal results would appear only after six to 12 months

North Korea on Friday accused the CIA and Seoul's intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate the isolated country's leader Kim Jong-Un with a biochemical weapon, amid heightened tensions in the region. In a statement the powerful ministry of state security, said it had foiled a "vicious plot" by a "hideous terrorists' group" to attack the North's "supreme leadership". The accusations come with the US and North trading threats over the latter's nuclear and missile programmes, and as Washington considers whether to re-designate Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism. That follows the killing of Kim's estranged half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using the banned nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur international airport. Both Malaysia and South Korea have blamed the North for the assassination, which retorts that the accusations are an attempt to smear it. The security ministry statement, carried on the North's official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), said the CIA and the South's intelligence had suborned, bribed and blackmailed a North Korean citizen named only as Kim to carry out the attack. Possible locations included the mausoleum where Kim Jong-Un's father and grandfather -- the North's founder -- lie in state, or a military parade. Such an operation would be extremely difficult to prepare and carry out successfully. The North's leader is surrounded by tight security at all times, and Pyongyang maintains a gigantic surveillance system over its own population that is ingrained at every level of society, where open dissent is unknown. The CIA told its agent, named Kim, it had access to radioactive and "nano poisonous" substances whose lethal results would appear only after six to 12 months, the statement said. Kim -- described as "human scum" -- received payments totalling at least $740,000 and was given satellite transceivers and other materials and equipment, it said. He had multiple contacts with South Korean intelligence personnel, and an accomplice who had a Chinese-sounding name, Xu Guanghai of the Qingdao Nazca Trade Co. Checks on China's National Enterprise Credit Information system show that a company of that name was formed on March 7 this year, with a Xu Guanghai named as its legal representative, and business areas including "chemical products". No details were given in the ministry statement of how the supposed plot was uncovered, or of Kim's fate. But in a potential sign of an internal purge, it said that the ministry will "ferret out and mercilessly destroy the terrorists". 'Empire of evil' The lurid accusations come with Pyongyang and Washington at loggerheads over the North's banned weapons programmes, which have seen it subjected to multiple sets of United Nations Security Council sanctions. Pyongyang, which says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion, has carried out a series of missile launches and threatened a sixth atomic test, while the administration of new US President Donald Trump has said that military action was an "option on the table" -- raising fears of a spiralling conflict. The alleged plot was a "hideous crime" the security ministry said, and tantamount to "the declaration of a war". The statement came hours after the US House of Representatives in Washington voted to broaden US sanctions against the North. The measure, which now heads for the Senate, also gave the Trump administration 90 days to determine whether Pyongyang should be re-designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, after it was removed from the list in 2008. The North Korean statement described the US as a state sponsor of terrorism itself, and an "empire of evil". Analysts said the accusations could be a pre-emptive attempt to try to dissuade Washington from any attempt at a surgical strike on its leadership, as suggested by some commentators. The North believes the US and South are seeking to assassinate Kim, said Professor Koh Yu-Hwan of Dongguk University. It was "unimaginable that individuals can get close enough to Kim to harm him in light of supertight security there", he told AFP. But the allegation was also "aimed at keeping its people on their toes and strengthening its grip on them", and intended "to distance itself from the assassination of Jong-Nam who was killed by a chemical weapon". North Korean commandos infiltrated Seoul in January 1968 in a failed attempt to assassinate its then leader Park Chung-Hee. Bullet holes are still visible on a tree above the presidential Blue House. (AFP)

North Korea accuses CIA, Seoul of plot to assassinate Kim Jong-Un

Even as tensions rise in the Korean peninsula, the US Air Force test-launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from California early Wednesday.

Air Force Global Strike Command spokesman Joe Thomas said from California that the test was routine and not meant to be a show of force in the stand-off with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile program.

The Minuteman III missile blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 0702 GMT, the strike command said in a statement.

The missile travelled some 4,200 miles (6,700 km) and went down near a Pacific Ocean atoll that is part of the Marshall Islands and features a US military ballistic missile test site.

The Minuteman III, capable of being fitted with a nuclear warhead, is tested like this about four times a year, said Linda Frost, also a spokeswoman for the strike command.

Air forces photos of the launch show bright, roaring flames at the moment of liftoff, then a pale, slender, orange trail against the night sky as the missile arced over the ocean.

&nbsp;

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The US military test fires an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, some 209kms north-west of Los Angeles, California. (AFP)
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&quot;These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent,&quot; the strike command said in a statement.

&quot;The ICBM test launch program demonstrates the operational capability of the Minuteman III and ensures the United States&rsquo; ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of US national security and the security of US allies and partners,&quot; it added.

(AFP)

The Minuteman III missile blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Even as tensions rise in the Korean peninsula, the US Air Force test-launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from California early Wednesday. Air Force Global Strike Command spokesman Joe Thomas said from California that the test was routine and not meant to be a show of force in the stand-off with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile program. The Minuteman III missile blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 0702 GMT, the strike command said in a statement. The missile travelled some 4,200 miles (6,700 km) and went down near a Pacific Ocean atoll that is part of the Marshall Islands and features a US military ballistic missile test site. The Minuteman III, capable of being fitted with a nuclear warhead, is tested like this about four times a year, said Linda Frost, also a spokeswoman for the strike command. Air forces photos of the launch show bright, roaring flames at the moment of liftoff, then a pale, slender, orange trail against the night sky as the missile arced over the ocean. The US military test fires an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, some 209kms north-west of Los Angeles, California. (AFP) × "These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent," the strike command said in a statement. "The ICBM test launch program demonstrates the operational capability of the Minuteman III and ensures the United States’ ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of US national security and the security of US allies and partners," it added. (AFP)

US Air Force test-fires ICBM from California

US President Donald Trump said he would be &quot;honored&quot; to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions, dialing back threats of military action against the regime Monday. 
 
As Pyongyang threatens to carry out a sixth nuclear test that would further enflame tensions on the Korean peninsula, Trump appeared to offer the prospect of a diplomatic off-ramp. 
 
&quot;If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him I would, absolutely. I would be honored to do it,&quot; Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg. 
 
&quot;If it`s under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that,&quot; Trump said. 
 
In recent weeks Trump has threatened and berated the regime, fearing it may be months away from marrying nuclear and long range missile technology --- making a strike against the western United States possible.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s&nbsp;main gambit has been to encourage China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang -- a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past. 
 
The Republican president has also said he is ready to act alone in the stand-off, however -- and on Monday signaled that this could involve face-to-face talks with Kim, who has yet to meet a foreign leader since taking power. 
 
In the latest rhetoric to fuel jitters across the region, North Korea warned Monday that it was prepared to carry out a nuclear test &quot;at any time and at any location&quot; set by its leadership. 
 
The regime will continue bolstering its &quot;preemptive nuclear attack&quot; capabilities unless Washington scraps its hostile policies, a spokesman for the North`s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. 
 
&quot;The DPRK&#39;s measures for bolstering the nuclear force to the maximum will be taken in a consecutive and successive way at any moment and any place decided by its supreme leadership,&quot; the spokesman added, apparently referring to a sixth nuclear test and using the North`s official name, the Democratic Republic of Korea.The North has carried out five nuclear tests in the last 11 years and is widely believed to be making progress toward its dream of building a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States. 
 
It raises the tone of its warnings every spring, when Washington and Seoul carry out joint exercises it condemns as rehearsals for invasion. But this time fears of conflict have been fueled by a cycle of threats from both sides. 
 
The joint drills have just ended, but naval exercises are continuing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) with a US strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. 
 
CIA director Mike Pompeo was in South Korea on Monday, the US embassy in Seoul confirmed, following reports of an unannounced visit as tensions mount on the peninsula. 
 
Pompeo`s visit coincided with news that the controversial US missile defense system known as THAAD -- whose deployment has angered China -- is now operational in South Korea. 
 
&quot;It has reached initial intercept capability,&quot; a US defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Seoul regularly warns that Pyongyang can carry out a test whenever it decides to do so. 
 
Pyongyang`s latest attempted show of force was a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed the UN Security Council to raise pressure on the North. 
 
Trump on Sunday repeated his determination to resolve the threat posed by North Korea, warning in a CBS interview: &quot;We cannot let what`s been going on for a long period of years continue.&quot; 
 
But the US leader also offered some backhanded praise for Kim, saying he had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father`s death in 2011. 
 
&quot;He`s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power,&quot; Trump said on CBS`s &quot;Face the Nation.&quot; 
 
&quot;So obviously, he`s a pretty smart cookie,&quot; he said. 
 
That comment left the White House struggling to downplay Trump&#39;s&nbsp;apparent admiration. 
 
&quot;His point was he assumed power at a young age when his father passed away and there`s a lot of potential threats that could have come his way and he`s obviously managed to lead a country forward,&quot; said Press Secretary Sean Spicer. 
 
(AFP)

Rolling back threats of a military escalation, the US president said he would meet the North Korean leader if 'appropriate'

US President Donald Trump said he would be "honored" to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions, dialing back threats of military action against the regime Monday. As Pyongyang threatens to carry out a sixth nuclear test that would further enflame tensions on the Korean peninsula, Trump appeared to offer the prospect of a diplomatic off-ramp. "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him I would, absolutely. I would be honored to do it," Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg. "If it`s under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that," Trump said. In recent weeks Trump has threatened and berated the regime, fearing it may be months away from marrying nuclear and long range missile technology --- making a strike against the western United States possible. Trump's main gambit has been to encourage China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang -- a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past. The Republican president has also said he is ready to act alone in the stand-off, however -- and on Monday signaled that this could involve face-to-face talks with Kim, who has yet to meet a foreign leader since taking power. In the latest rhetoric to fuel jitters across the region, North Korea warned Monday that it was prepared to carry out a nuclear test "at any time and at any location" set by its leadership. The regime will continue bolstering its "preemptive nuclear attack" capabilities unless Washington scraps its hostile policies, a spokesman for the North`s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. "The DPRK's measures for bolstering the nuclear force to the maximum will be taken in a consecutive and successive way at any moment and any place decided by its supreme leadership," the spokesman added, apparently referring to a sixth nuclear test and using the North`s official name, the Democratic Republic of Korea.The North has carried out five nuclear tests in the last 11 years and is widely believed to be making progress toward its dream of building a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States. It raises the tone of its warnings every spring, when Washington and Seoul carry out joint exercises it condemns as rehearsals for invasion. But this time fears of conflict have been fueled by a cycle of threats from both sides. The joint drills have just ended, but naval exercises are continuing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) with a US strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. CIA director Mike Pompeo was in South Korea on Monday, the US embassy in Seoul confirmed, following reports of an unannounced visit as tensions mount on the peninsula. Pompeo`s visit coincided with news that the controversial US missile defense system known as THAAD -- whose deployment has angered China -- is now operational in South Korea. "It has reached initial intercept capability," a US defense official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Seoul regularly warns that Pyongyang can carry out a test whenever it decides to do so. Pyongyang`s latest attempted show of force was a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed the UN Security Council to raise pressure on the North. Trump on Sunday repeated his determination to resolve the threat posed by North Korea, warning in a CBS interview: "We cannot let what`s been going on for a long period of years continue." But the US leader also offered some backhanded praise for Kim, saying he had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father`s death in 2011. "He`s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power," Trump said on CBS`s "Face the Nation." "So obviously, he`s a pretty smart cookie," he said. That comment left the White House struggling to downplay Trump's apparent admiration. "His point was he assumed power at a young age when his father passed away and there`s a lot of potential threats that could have come his way and he`s obviously managed to lead a country forward," said Press Secretary Sean Spicer. (AFP)

Would be 'honoured' to meet North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, says Trump

Two days after North Korea unsuccessfully test-fired a ballistic missile in defiance of pressure by the West, a spokesman for the North&#39;s foreign ministry said Pyongyang was &quot;fully ready to respond to any option taken by the US&quot;.

The regime will continue bolstering its &quot;pre-emptive nuclear attack&quot; capabilities unless Washington scrapped its hostile policies, the spokesman said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.

The move comes even as US seemed to be softening its&nbsp;stand on North Korea after weeks of war rhetoric after US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, calling him &quot;a pretty smart cookie&quot; in a television interview that aired Sunday.

Trump said he had &quot;no idea&quot; whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father&#39;s death in 2011.

&quot;He&#39;s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular, the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power,&quot; Trump said in the interview with CBS&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;

However, North Korea hit back on Monday, declaring,&nbsp;&quot;The DPRK&#39;s measures for bolstering the nuclear force to the maximum will be taken in a consecutive and successive way at any moment and any place decided by its supreme leadership,&quot;&nbsp;apparently referring to a sixth nuclear test and using the North&#39;s official name, the Democratic Republic of Korea.

The Korean peninsula has seen military drills being carried out by the US and South Korea&nbsp;in a bid to keep the pressure on the Kim government. South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

A French warfare ship arrived in Japan on Saturday ahead of the first joint exercise among Japan, France, the US and the UK. &nbsp;

The amphibious assault ship arrived at the Sasebo naval base in south-western Japan to conduct military drills from May 3 through May 22 in the waters surrounding Japan as well as the Pacific islands of Guam and Northern Marianas, according to Japan&#39;s Self-Defence Forces.

As many as 700 military personnel are expected to take part in the Jeanne d&#39;Arc mission for young officers, also to be joined by French frigate Courbet.

Some 60 British sailors and 220 Japanese military personnel will go on board the French vessels, along with their American counterparts.

(WION with Agency inputs)

North Korea's foreign ministry said it was 'fully ready to respond to any option taken by the US'.

Two days after North Korea unsuccessfully test-fired a ballistic missile in defiance of pressure by the West, a spokesman for the North's foreign ministry said Pyongyang was "fully ready to respond to any option taken by the US". The regime will continue bolstering its "pre-emptive nuclear attack" capabilities unless Washington scrapped its hostile policies, the spokesman said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. The move comes even as US seemed to be softening its stand on North Korea after weeks of war rhetoric after US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, calling him "a pretty smart cookie" in a television interview that aired Sunday. Trump said he had "no idea" whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father's death in 2011. "He's dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular, the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power," Trump said in the interview with CBS's "Face the Nation." However, North Korea hit back on Monday, declaring, "The DPRK's measures for bolstering the nuclear force to the maximum will be taken in a consecutive and successive way at any moment and any place decided by its supreme leadership," apparently referring to a sixth nuclear test and using the North's official name, the Democratic Republic of Korea. The Korean peninsula has seen military drills being carried out by the US and South Korea in a bid to keep the pressure on the Kim government. South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea. A French warfare ship arrived in Japan on Saturday ahead of the first joint exercise among Japan, France, the US and the UK. The amphibious assault ship arrived at the Sasebo naval base in south-western Japan to conduct military drills from May 3 through May 22 in the waters surrounding Japan as well as the Pacific islands of Guam and Northern Marianas, according to Japan's Self-Defence Forces. As many as 700 military personnel are expected to take part in the Jeanne d'Arc mission for young officers, also to be joined by French frigate Courbet. Some 60 British sailors and 220 Japanese military personnel will go on board the French vessels, along with their American counterparts. (WION with Agency inputs)

Will continue to bolster pre-emptive nuclear attack capabilities, warns North Korea

US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, calling him &quot;a pretty smart cookie&quot; in a television interview that aired Sunday.

Trump&#39;s almost admiring remarks came amid soaring tensions with North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs, with an alarmed Washington looking to China for help in reining in Kim.

Trump said he had &quot;no idea&quot; whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father&#39;s death in 2011.

&quot;He&#39;s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power,&quot; Trump said in the interview with CBS&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;

&quot;A lot of people, I&#39;m sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it.

&quot;So obviously, he&#39;s a pretty smart cookie,&quot; he said.

&quot;But we have a situation that we just cannot let -- we cannot let what&#39;s been going on for a long period of years continue,&quot; Trump added.

North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test, punctuated by a series of missile tests that have aroused US fears that the regime may be close to developing a ballistic missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead.

It&#39;s a&nbsp;chess game: Trump on North Korea missile test 
 
The North, defying mounting US pressure, launched its latest missile test on Saturday, which South Korea said failed.

Trump refused comment on whether the United States had anything to do with the missile test failure.

&quot;It is a chess game. I just don&#39;t want people to know what my thinking is. So eventually, he will have a better delivery system. And if that happens, we can&#39;t allow it to happen.&quot;

Hours before the North Korean test, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned of &quot;catastrophic consequences&quot; if the international community does not act more forcefully to sanction Pyongyang.

The United States has deployed a naval strike group to the area led by the carrier USS Carl Vinson, which on Saturday began drilling with the South Korean navy to practice procedures for tracking and intercepting enemy ballistic missiles.

On Sunday, the two allies concluded a massive annual military exercise called &quot;Foal Eagle,&quot; which involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

Betting on China 
 
If North Korea carries out a nuclear test, Trump told CBS, &quot;I would not be happy.&quot;

&quot;And I can tell you also, I don&#39;t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either,&quot; Trump said.

Asked if &quot;not happy&quot; signified &quot;military action,&quot; Trump answered: &quot;I don&#39;t know. I mean, we&#39;ll see.&quot;

So far, Trump has placed his biggest bet on getting China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang to change its behavior, a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past.

Since meeting with China&#39;s President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida April 6-7, Trump has set aside his campaign threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and declare Beijing a currency manipulator.

&quot;I think that, frankly, North Korea is maybe more important than trade. Trade is very important. But massive warfare with millions, potentially millions of people being killed? That, as we would say, trumps trade,&quot; he told CBS.

&quot;Now, if China can help us with North Korea and can solve that problem -- that&#39;s worth making not as good a trade deal for the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test

US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, calling him "a pretty smart cookie" in a television interview that aired Sunday. Trump's almost admiring remarks came amid soaring tensions with North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs, with an alarmed Washington looking to China for help in reining in Kim. Trump said he had "no idea" whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father's death in 2011. "He's dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power," Trump said in the interview with CBS's "Face the Nation." "A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. "So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie," he said. "But we have a situation that we just cannot let -- we cannot let what's been going on for a long period of years continue," Trump added. North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test, punctuated by a series of missile tests that have aroused US fears that the regime may be close to developing a ballistic missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead. It's a chess game: Trump on North Korea missile test The North, defying mounting US pressure, launched its latest missile test on Saturday, which South Korea said failed. Trump refused comment on whether the United States had anything to do with the missile test failure. "It is a chess game. I just don't want people to know what my thinking is. So eventually, he will have a better delivery system. And if that happens, we can't allow it to happen." Hours before the North Korean test, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community does not act more forcefully to sanction Pyongyang. The United States has deployed a naval strike group to the area led by the carrier USS Carl Vinson, which on Saturday began drilling with the South Korean navy to practice procedures for tracking and intercepting enemy ballistic missiles. On Sunday, the two allies concluded a massive annual military exercise called "Foal Eagle," which involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops. Betting on China If North Korea carries out a nuclear test, Trump told CBS, "I would not be happy." "And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said. Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see." So far, Trump has placed his biggest bet on getting China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang to change its behavior, a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past. Since meeting with China's President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida April 6-7, Trump has set aside his campaign threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and declare Beijing a currency manipulator. "I think that, frankly, North Korea is maybe more important than trade. Trade is very important. But massive warfare with millions, potentially millions of people being killed? That, as we would say, trumps trade," he told CBS. "Now, if China can help us with North Korea and can solve that problem -- that's worth making not as good a trade deal for the United States," he said. (AFP)

Trump says North Korea's Kim is 'a pretty smart cookie'

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response.

The massive &quot;Foal Eagle&quot; drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

Another annual joint exercise known as &quot;Key Resolve&quot; ended last month.

Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang&#39;s claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible &quot;major conflict&quot; while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live-fire military exercise.

The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies&#39; capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week.

Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area.

China is &quot;putting pressure&quot; on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation&quot; programme.

If North Korea carries out another nuclear test &quot;I would not be happy,&quot; he said.

&quot;And I can tell you also, I don&#39;t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either,&quot; Trump said in excerpts of the interview released Saturday.

Asked if &quot;not happy&quot; signified &quot;military action,&quot; Trump answered: &quot;I don&#39;t know. I mean, we&#39;ll see.&quot;

&#39;Catastrophic consequences&#39;&nbsp;

Pyongyang&#39;s show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of &quot;catastrophic consequences&quot; if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme.

Military options for dealing with the North were still &quot;on the table&quot;, Tillerson said.

China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North&#39;s nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to &quot;bigger disasters&quot;.

Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea.

&quot;There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help,&quot; he said.

The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally&#39;s territory.

But on Sunday South Korea said US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster had spoken by phone with his counterpart in Seoul and both sides had reaffirmed that Washington would bear the cost of the THAAD deployment, as initially agreed.

Trump&#39;s interview remarks &quot;were made in a general context, reflecting the American public&#39;s hopes for (defense) cost sharing,&quot; McMaster was quoted as saying by the South&#39;s presidential office.

The two countries have had a security alliance since the 1950-53 Korean war, and more than 28,000 US troops are stationed in the South.

Beijing has been infuriated by the THAAD deployment, which it says upsets the regional security balance.

(AFP)

Tensions have deepened in the region as the North is reportedly preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response. The massive "Foal Eagle" drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops. Another annual joint exercise known as "Key Resolve" ended last month. Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang's claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion. Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile. US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible "major conflict" while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live-fire military exercise. The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies' capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week. Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area. China is "putting pressure" on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network's "Face the Nation" programme. If North Korea carries out another nuclear test "I would not be happy," he said. "And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said in excerpts of the interview released Saturday. Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see." 'Catastrophic consequences' Pyongyang's show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme. Military options for dealing with the North were still "on the table", Tillerson said. China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North's nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to "bigger disasters". Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea. "There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help," he said. The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally's territory. But on Sunday South Korea said US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster had spoken by phone with his counterpart in Seoul and both sides had reaffirmed that Washington would bear the cost of the THAAD deployment, as initially agreed. Trump's interview remarks "were made in a general context, reflecting the American public's hopes for (defense) cost sharing," McMaster was quoted as saying by the South's presidential office. The two countries have had a security alliance since the 1950-53 Korean war, and more than 28,000 US troops are stationed in the South. Beijing has been infuriated by the THAAD deployment, which it says upsets the regional security balance. (AFP)

US, South Korea continue joint naval drills amid Pyongyang threats

Pope Francis said on Saturday a third country should try to mediate the dispute between North Korea and Washington, saying the situation had become &quot;too hot&quot; and the world risked a devastating war.

Francis said he believed &quot;a good part of humanity&quot; would be destroyed in any widespread war.

Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back from Cairo, Francis also said he was ready to meet US President Donald Trump when he is in Europe next month but that he was not aware that Washington had made a request for a meeting.

In answer to a question about the tensions between the United States and North Korea, Francis said the United Nations should re-assert its leadership in world diplomacy because it had become &quot;too watered down&quot;.

(Reuters)

Pope Francis said the situation had become 'too hot' and the world risked a devastating war

Pope Francis said on Saturday a third country should try to mediate the dispute between North Korea and Washington, saying the situation had become "too hot" and the world risked a devastating war. Francis said he believed "a good part of humanity" would be destroyed in any widespread war. Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back from Cairo, Francis also said he was ready to meet US President Donald Trump when he is in Europe next month but that he was not aware that Washington had made a request for a meeting. In answer to a question about the tensions between the United States and North Korea, Francis said the United Nations should re-assert its leadership in world diplomacy because it had become "too watered down". (Reuters)

Pope Francis urges mediation to end North Korean crisis

The Trump administration could respond to North Korea&#39;s latest failed missile test by speeding up its plans for new US sanctions against Pyongyang, including possible measures against specific North Korean and Chinese entities, a US official told Reuters on Friday.

With North Korea acting in defiance of pressure from the United States and North Korea&#39;s main ally, China, Washington could also conduct new naval drills and deploy more ships and aircraft in the region as a show of force, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

&quot;It&#39;s possible that something could be sped up,&quot; the official said of the potential for imposing a limited package of targeted sanctions on North Korea. &quot;Something that&#39;s ready to go could be taken from the larger package and expedited.&quot;

The source said the ballistic missile launch was the kind of &quot;provocation&quot; that had been anticipated ahead of South Korea&#39;s May 9 election, and President Donald Trump could use the test-firing to further press China to do more to rein in North Korea.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the missile fired from a region north of Pyongyang was probably a medium-range missile known as a KN-17 and appears to have broken up within minutes of taking off.

Should North Korea test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile as it has threatened, Washington would consider it a more dangerous milestone, the administration official told Reuters, suggesting it would draw a much tougher US response.

The Trump administration is especially worried about Pyongyang&#39;s work to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. Washington is also watching closely for the possibility of North Korea&#39;s sixth nuclear test.

The missile test came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the United Nations Security Council that failure to curb North Korea&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs could lead to &quot;catastrophic consequences.&quot;

The official said any new sanctions could be rolled out in coming days and may hit a number of entities that have already been &quot;vetted&quot; by the US government for such measures, while the administration continues crafting a broader sanctions package.

The targets, the official said, could include financial institutions and front companies in North Korea as well as China, which could anger Beijing.

While Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for signalling increased cooperation on the North Korea issue, the official said Beijing still &quot;needs to draw some sort of line in the sand&quot; with Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

The military options under active consideration include displays of US power in the region meant to deter North Korea and reassure US allies South Korea, the official said.

But it stops short of pre-emptive U.S. military strikes, which could run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among US forces in both countries.

(Reuters)

Washington could conduct new naval drills and deploy more ships and aircraft in the region

The Trump administration could respond to North Korea's latest failed missile test by speeding up its plans for new US sanctions against Pyongyang, including possible measures against specific North Korean and Chinese entities, a US official told Reuters on Friday. With North Korea acting in defiance of pressure from the United States and North Korea's main ally, China, Washington could also conduct new naval drills and deploy more ships and aircraft in the region as a show of force, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's possible that something could be sped up," the official said of the potential for imposing a limited package of targeted sanctions on North Korea. "Something that's ready to go could be taken from the larger package and expedited." The source said the ballistic missile launch was the kind of "provocation" that had been anticipated ahead of South Korea's May 9 election, and President Donald Trump could use the test-firing to further press China to do more to rein in North Korea. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the missile fired from a region north of Pyongyang was probably a medium-range missile known as a KN-17 and appears to have broken up within minutes of taking off. Should North Korea test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile as it has threatened, Washington would consider it a more dangerous milestone, the administration official told Reuters, suggesting it would draw a much tougher US response. The Trump administration is especially worried about Pyongyang's work to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. Washington is also watching closely for the possibility of North Korea's sixth nuclear test. The missile test came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the United Nations Security Council that failure to curb North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs could lead to "catastrophic consequences." The official said any new sanctions could be rolled out in coming days and may hit a number of entities that have already been "vetted" by the US government for such measures, while the administration continues crafting a broader sanctions package. The targets, the official said, could include financial institutions and front companies in North Korea as well as China, which could anger Beijing. While Trump has praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for signalling increased cooperation on the North Korea issue, the official said Beijing still "needs to draw some sort of line in the sand" with Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs. The military options under active consideration include displays of US power in the region meant to deter North Korea and reassure US allies South Korea, the official said. But it stops short of pre-emptive U.S. military strikes, which could run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among US forces in both countries. (Reuters)

US could respond to Pyongyang's latest failed missile test by speeding up sanctions

A French warfare ship arrived in Japan Saturday for an international drill as tensions mounted over North Korea&#39;s latest ballistic missile launch in defiance of a US push for tougher global sanctions.

The amphibious assault ship arrived at the Sasebo naval base in south-western Japan ahead of the first joint exercise among Japan, France, the US and the UK.

The drill comes as tensions run high in East Asia after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile early Saturday amid speculation that Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear test.&nbsp;

The drill will run from May 3 through May 22 in the waters surrounding Japan as well as the Pacific islands of Guam and Northern Marianas, according to Japan&#39;s Self Defence Forces.

As many as 700 military personnel are expected to take part in the Jeanne d&#39;Arc mission for young officers, also to be joined by French frigate Courbet.

Some 60 British sailors and&nbsp;220 Japanese military personnel will go on board the French vessels, along with their American counterparts.

The exercise &quot;is designed to strengthen and to enhance trust and cooperation among the participating countries&quot;, Japan&#39;s Joint Staff said in a statement Friday.

The naval mission also coincided with a move by the US to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific led by the USS Carl Vinson.

US President Donald Trump has warned of a &quot;major conflict&quot; with North Korea, and insisted that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; to stop its nuclear drive, hinting at possible military operations.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-test-fires-ballistic-missile-in-defiance-of-world-pressure-15049">Also Read:&nbsp;North Korea test-fires ballistic missile in defiance of world pressure</a>

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The amphibious assault ship arrived at the Sasebo naval base in south-western Japan ahead of the first joint exercise among Japan, France, the US and the UK

A French warfare ship arrived in Japan Saturday for an international drill as tensions mounted over North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch in defiance of a US push for tougher global sanctions. The amphibious assault ship arrived at the Sasebo naval base in south-western Japan ahead of the first joint exercise among Japan, France, the US and the UK. The drill comes as tensions run high in East Asia after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile early Saturday amid speculation that Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear test. The drill will run from May 3 through May 22 in the waters surrounding Japan as well as the Pacific islands of Guam and Northern Marianas, according to Japan's Self Defence Forces. As many as 700 military personnel are expected to take part in the Jeanne d'Arc mission for young officers, also to be joined by French frigate Courbet. Some 60 British sailors and 220 Japanese military personnel will go on board the French vessels, along with their American counterparts. The exercise "is designed to strengthen and to enhance trust and cooperation among the participating countries", Japan's Joint Staff said in a statement Friday. The naval mission also coincided with a move by the US to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific led by the USS Carl Vinson. US President Donald Trump has warned of a "major conflict" with North Korea, and insisted that "all options are on the table" to stop its nuclear drive, hinting at possible military operations. Also Read: North Korea test-fires ballistic missile in defiance of world pressure (AFP)

French warship arrives in Japan for military drill amid tension over North Korea's missile launch

North Korea unsuccessfully test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday from a region north of its capital, Pyongyang, South Korea&#39;s military said, defying intense pressure from the United States and the reclusive state&#39;s main ally, China. 
 
The test came as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the United Nations Security Council that failure to curb North Korea`s nuclear and ballistic missile programs could lead to &#39;catastrophic consequences&#39;. 
 
US&nbsp;and South Korean officials said the test appeared to have failed, in what would be a fourth successive unsuccessful missile test since March.&nbsp; 
 
US&nbsp;officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the missile was probably a medium-range missile known as a KN-17 and appears to have broken up within minutes of taking off.&nbsp; 
 
Tension had spiked on the Korean peninsula over concerns the North may conduct the test-launch of a long-range missile or its sixth nuclear test around the time of the April 15 anniversary of its state founder`s birth or the day marking the founding of its military earlier this week. 
 
The timing of the latest launch suggests it was calculated to send a certain message as Pyongyang remains under intense attention of world powers, said Kim Dong-yub, an expert at Kyungnam University`s Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. 
 
&ldquo;It was planned at a complicated timing around the end of the South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, the United States talking about military options and the announcement of North Korea policies and the Security Council meeting,&rdquo; Kim said.&nbsp; 
 
South Korean and U.S. forces have been conducting annual military drills since the start of March that conclude at the end of April.&nbsp; 
 
In a show of force, the United States is sending the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group to waters off the Korean peninsula, where it will join the USS Michigan, a nuclear submarine that docked in South Korea on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
US&nbsp;President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview on Thursday a &quot;major, major conflict&quot; with North Korea was possible over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.&nbsp; 
 
Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping for &quot;trying very hard&quot; to rein in Pyongyang. 
 
But both China and Russia rebuked Washington`s threat of military force at a meeting of the UN&nbsp;Security Council on the matter on Friday. 
 
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the 15-member council it was not only up to China to solve the North Korean problem. 
 
&quot;The key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula does not lie in the hands of the Chinese side,&quot; Wang told the council in blunt remarks that Tillerson later rebuffed. 
 
The UN&nbsp;Security Council is likely to start discussing a statement to condemn the missile launch, said diplomats, adding that it was unlikely to be issued on Friday. The Security Council traditionally condemns all missile launches by Pyongyang. 
 
&quot;It could have happened today exactly because we had the meeting,&quot; Italian U.N. Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, chair of the Security Council`s North Korean sanctions committee, told reporters when hearing of the test. &quot;It`s illegal, it should not be done, it`s another provocative action by North Korea.&rdquo; 
 
Neighbouring Japan said the &quot;unacceptable&quot; launch clearly violated UN&nbsp;resolutions and said it had lodged a strong protest with North Korea. 
 
(Reuters)

US officials said the missile was probably a medium-range missile known as a KN-17

North Korea unsuccessfully test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday from a region north of its capital, Pyongyang, South Korea's military said, defying intense pressure from the United States and the reclusive state's main ally, China. The test came as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the United Nations Security Council that failure to curb North Korea`s nuclear and ballistic missile programs could lead to 'catastrophic consequences'. US and South Korean officials said the test appeared to have failed, in what would be a fourth successive unsuccessful missile test since March. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the missile was probably a medium-range missile known as a KN-17 and appears to have broken up within minutes of taking off. Tension had spiked on the Korean peninsula over concerns the North may conduct the test-launch of a long-range missile or its sixth nuclear test around the time of the April 15 anniversary of its state founder`s birth or the day marking the founding of its military earlier this week. The timing of the latest launch suggests it was calculated to send a certain message as Pyongyang remains under intense attention of world powers, said Kim Dong-yub, an expert at Kyungnam University`s Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul. “It was planned at a complicated timing around the end of the South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, the United States talking about military options and the announcement of North Korea policies and the Security Council meeting,” Kim said. South Korean and U.S. forces have been conducting annual military drills since the start of March that conclude at the end of April. In a show of force, the United States is sending the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group to waters off the Korean peninsula, where it will join the USS Michigan, a nuclear submarine that docked in South Korea on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview on Thursday a "major, major conflict" with North Korea was possible over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping for "trying very hard" to rein in Pyongyang. But both China and Russia rebuked Washington`s threat of military force at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the matter on Friday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the 15-member council it was not only up to China to solve the North Korean problem. "The key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula does not lie in the hands of the Chinese side," Wang told the council in blunt remarks that Tillerson later rebuffed. The UN Security Council is likely to start discussing a statement to condemn the missile launch, said diplomats, adding that it was unlikely to be issued on Friday. The Security Council traditionally condemns all missile launches by Pyongyang. "It could have happened today exactly because we had the meeting," Italian U.N. Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi, chair of the Security Council`s North Korean sanctions committee, told reporters when hearing of the test. "It`s illegal, it should not be done, it`s another provocative action by North Korea.” Neighbouring Japan said the "unacceptable" launch clearly violated UN resolutions and said it had lodged a strong protest with North Korea. (Reuters)

North Korea test-fires ballistic missile in defiance of world pressure

The United States is not ruling out a direct dialogue with North Korea on its nuclear program, secretary of state Rex Tillerson said in an interview with National Public Radio.

&quot;Obviously, that would be the way we would like to solve this,&quot; he said, according to the transcript published Friday, when asked whether Washington seeks talks with Pyongyang.

&quot;But North Korea has to decide they&#39;re ready to talk to us about the right agenda -- and the right agenda is not simply stopping where they are for a few more months or a few more years and then resuming things.

Later,&nbsp;Rex Tillerson speaking at the UN Security Council said the threat of an attack by Pyongyang against Japan and South Korea is real and urged the UN&nbsp;Security Council to act &quot;before North Korea does.&quot;

In remarks to the UN&nbsp;Security Council, Tillerson called on the international community to fully implement UN&nbsp;sanctions and to suspend or downgrade diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.

&quot;With each successive detonation and missile test North Korea pushes northeast Asia and the world closer to instability and broader conflict,&quot; Tillerson told the 15-member council. &quot;The threat of a North Korean attack on Seoul or Tokyo is real.&quot;

Meanwhile, Russia warned that mounting rhetoric and &quot;reckless muscle-flexing&quot; over North Korea could lead to missteps that would have &quot;frightening consequences.&quot;

In comments apparently directed at the United States and Pyongyang, Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov told the UN Security Council the &quot;rhetoric coupled with reckless muscle-flexing has led to a situation where the whole world is seriously wondering whether there is going to be a war or not.&quot;

Gennady Gatilov told the Security Council that China&#39;s proposals to re-start talks with North Korea should be seriously examined and that sanctions alone would not work.

North Korea &quot;is conducting itself in an inappropriate way,&quot; Gatilov told the UN.&nbsp;&quot;At the same time, the option&nbsp;of using force are completely unacceptable and could lead to catastrophic consequences.&quot;

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had called on North Korea and other countries to avoid behaviour or rhetoric that could increase tensions around Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear programme.

&quot;In my opinion, and in the opinion of the prime minister, the situation on the Korean peninsula has unfortunately got a lot worse,&quot; said Putin.

&quot;We call on all governments involved in regional matters to refrain from using belligerent rhetoric and to strive for peaceful constructive dialogue,&quot;

Abe told the same news conference that he wanted Pyongyang to refrain from taking any actions that could be perceived as provocative by other countries.

(WION with agency inputs)

US foreign secretary Rex Tillerson speaking at the UN Security Council said the threat of an attack by Pyongyang against Japan and South Korea is real.

The United States is not ruling out a direct dialogue with North Korea on its nuclear program, secretary of state Rex Tillerson said in an interview with National Public Radio. "Obviously, that would be the way we would like to solve this," he said, according to the transcript published Friday, when asked whether Washington seeks talks with Pyongyang. "But North Korea has to decide they're ready to talk to us about the right agenda -- and the right agenda is not simply stopping where they are for a few more months or a few more years and then resuming things. Later, Rex Tillerson speaking at the UN Security Council said the threat of an attack by Pyongyang against Japan and South Korea is real and urged the UN Security Council to act "before North Korea does." In remarks to the UN Security Council, Tillerson called on the international community to fully implement UN sanctions and to suspend or downgrade diplomatic relations with Pyongyang. "With each successive detonation and missile test North Korea pushes northeast Asia and the world closer to instability and broader conflict," Tillerson told the 15-member council. "The threat of a North Korean attack on Seoul or Tokyo is real." Meanwhile, Russia warned that mounting rhetoric and "reckless muscle-flexing" over North Korea could lead to missteps that would have "frightening consequences." In comments apparently directed at the United States and Pyongyang, Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov told the UN Security Council the "rhetoric coupled with reckless muscle-flexing has led to a situation where the whole world is seriously wondering whether there is going to be a war or not." Gennady Gatilov told the Security Council that China's proposals to re-start talks with North Korea should be seriously examined and that sanctions alone would not work. North Korea "is conducting itself in an inappropriate way," Gatilov told the UN. "At the same time, the option of using force are completely unacceptable and could lead to catastrophic consequences." On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had called on North Korea and other countries to avoid behaviour or rhetoric that could increase tensions around Pyongyang's nuclear programme. "In my opinion, and in the opinion of the prime minister, the situation on the Korean peninsula has unfortunately got a lot worse," said Putin. "We call on all governments involved in regional matters to refrain from using belligerent rhetoric and to strive for peaceful constructive dialogue," Abe told the same news conference that he wanted Pyongyang to refrain from taking any actions that could be perceived as provocative by other countries. (WION with agency inputs)

Reckless muscle-flexing could lead to frightening consequences over North Korea, warns Russia

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute.

&quot;There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely,&quot; Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday.

Nonetheless, Trump said he wanted to peacefully resolve a crisis that has bedeviled multiple US presidents, a path that he and his administration are emphasizing by preparing a variety of new economic sanctions while not taking the military option off the table.

&quot;We&#39;d love to solve things diplomatically but it&#39;s very difficult,&quot; he said.

In other highlights of the 42-minute interview, Trump was cool to speaking again with Taiwan&#39;s president after an earlier telephone call with her angered China.

He also said he wants South Korea to pay the cost of the US THAAD anti-missile defense system, which he estimated at $1 billion, and intends to renegotiate or terminate a US free trade pact with South Korea because of a deep trade deficit with Seoul.

Asked when he would announce his intention to renegotiate the pact, Trump said: &ldquo;Very soon. I&rsquo;m announcing it now.&rdquo;

Trump also said he was considering adding stops to Israel and Saudi Arabia to a Europe trip next month, emphasizing that he wanted to see an Israeli-Palestinian peace. He complained that Saudi Arabia was not paying its fair share for U.S. defense.

Asked about the fight against Islamic State, Trump said the militant group had to be defeated.

&quot;I have to say, there is an end. And it has to be humiliation,&quot; he said, when asked about what the endgame was for defeating Islamist violent extremism.

Xi &#39;trying very hard&#39;

Trump said North Korea was his biggest global challenge. He lavished praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for Chinese assistance in trying to rein in Pyongyang. The two leaders met in Florida earlier this month.

&quot;I believe he is trying very hard. He certainly doesn&rsquo;t want to see turmoil and death. He doesn&rsquo;t want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well.

&quot;With that being said, he loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it&#39;s possible that he can&rsquo;t,&quot; Trump said.

Trump spoke just a day after he and his top national security advisers briefed U.S. lawmakers on the North Korean threat and one day before Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will press the United Nations Security Council on sanctions to further isolate Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

The Trump administration on Wednesday declared North Korea &quot;an urgent national security threat and top foreign policy priority.&quot; It said it was focusing on economic and diplomatic pressure, including Chinese cooperation in containing its defiant neighbor and ally, and remained open to negotiations.

U.S. officials said military strikes remained an option but played down the prospect, though the administration has sent an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine to the region in a show of force.

Any direct U.S. military action would run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among U.S. forces in both countries.

I hope he&#39;s rational

Trump, asked if he considered North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be rational, said he was operating from the assumption that he is rational. He noted that Kim had taken over his country at an early age.

&quot;He&#39;s 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age.

&quot;I&#39;m not giving him credit or not giving him credit, I&#39;m just saying that&#39;s a very hard thing to do. As to whether or not he&#39;s rational, I have no opinion on it. I hope he&#39;s rational,&quot; he said.

Trump, sipping a Coke delivered by an aide after the president ordered it by pressing a button on his desk, rebuffed an overture from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who told Reuters a direct phone call with Trump could take place again after their first conversation in early December angered Beijing.

China considers neighboring Taiwan to be a renegade province.

&quot;My problem is that I have established a very good personal relationship with President Xi,&quot; said Trump. &quot;I really feel that he is doing everything in his power to help us with a big situation. So I wouldn&rsquo;t want to be causing difficulty right now for him.

&quot;So I would certainly want to speak to him first.&quot;

Trump also said he hoped to avoid a potential government shutdown amid a dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats over a spending deal with a Saturday deadline looming.

But he said if a shutdown takes place, it will be the Democrats&#39; fault for trying to add money to the legislation to &quot;bail out Puerto Rico&quot; and other items.

He also defended the one-page tax plan he unveiled on Wednesday from criticism that it would increase the U.S. deficit, saying better trade deals and economic growth would offset the costs.

&quot;We will do trade deals that are going to make up for a tremendous amount of the deficit. We are going to be doing trade deals that are going to be much better trade deals,&quot; Trump said.

(Reuters)

'There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely,' Trump told Reuters

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute. "There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely," Trump told Reuters in an Oval Office interview ahead of his 100th day in office on Saturday. Nonetheless, Trump said he wanted to peacefully resolve a crisis that has bedeviled multiple US presidents, a path that he and his administration are emphasizing by preparing a variety of new economic sanctions while not taking the military option off the table. "We'd love to solve things diplomatically but it's very difficult," he said. In other highlights of the 42-minute interview, Trump was cool to speaking again with Taiwan's president after an earlier telephone call with her angered China. He also said he wants South Korea to pay the cost of the US THAAD anti-missile defense system, which he estimated at $1 billion, and intends to renegotiate or terminate a US free trade pact with South Korea because of a deep trade deficit with Seoul. Asked when he would announce his intention to renegotiate the pact, Trump said: “Very soon. I’m announcing it now.” Trump also said he was considering adding stops to Israel and Saudi Arabia to a Europe trip next month, emphasizing that he wanted to see an Israeli-Palestinian peace. He complained that Saudi Arabia was not paying its fair share for U.S. defense. Asked about the fight against Islamic State, Trump said the militant group had to be defeated. "I have to say, there is an end. And it has to be humiliation," he said, when asked about what the endgame was for defeating Islamist violent extremism. Xi 'trying very hard' Trump said North Korea was his biggest global challenge. He lavished praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping for Chinese assistance in trying to rein in Pyongyang. The two leaders met in Florida earlier this month. "I believe he is trying very hard. He certainly doesn’t want to see turmoil and death. He doesn’t want to see it. He is a good man. He is a very good man and I got to know him very well. "With that being said, he loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it's possible that he can’t," Trump said. Trump spoke just a day after he and his top national security advisers briefed U.S. lawmakers on the North Korean threat and one day before Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will press the United Nations Security Council on sanctions to further isolate Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs. The Trump administration on Wednesday declared North Korea "an urgent national security threat and top foreign policy priority." It said it was focusing on economic and diplomatic pressure, including Chinese cooperation in containing its defiant neighbor and ally, and remained open to negotiations. U.S. officials said military strikes remained an option but played down the prospect, though the administration has sent an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine to the region in a show of force. Any direct U.S. military action would run the risk of massive North Korean retaliation and huge casualties in Japan and South Korea and among U.S. forces in both countries. I hope he's rational Trump, asked if he considered North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to be rational, said he was operating from the assumption that he is rational. He noted that Kim had taken over his country at an early age. "He's 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age. "I'm not giving him credit or not giving him credit, I'm just saying that's a very hard thing to do. As to whether or not he's rational, I have no opinion on it. I hope he's rational," he said. Trump, sipping a Coke delivered by an aide after the president ordered it by pressing a button on his desk, rebuffed an overture from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who told Reuters a direct phone call with Trump could take place again after their first conversation in early December angered Beijing. China considers neighboring Taiwan to be a renegade province. "My problem is that I have established a very good personal relationship with President Xi," said Trump. "I really feel that he is doing everything in his power to help us with a big situation. So I wouldn’t want to be causing difficulty right now for him. "So I would certainly want to speak to him first." Trump also said he hoped to avoid a potential government shutdown amid a dispute between congressional Republicans and Democrats over a spending deal with a Saturday deadline looming. But he said if a shutdown takes place, it will be the Democrats' fault for trying to add money to the legislation to "bail out Puerto Rico" and other items. He also defended the one-page tax plan he unveiled on Wednesday from criticism that it would increase the U.S. deficit, saying better trade deals and economic growth would offset the costs. "We will do trade deals that are going to make up for a tremendous amount of the deficit. We are going to be doing trade deals that are going to be much better trade deals," Trump said. (Reuters)

Trump warns of 'major, major' conflict with North Korea

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un &quot;to his senses&quot;.

The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington&#39;s tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme.

After briefing senators at the White House, a&nbsp;statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump&#39;s desire to &quot;dismantle&quot; North Korea&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by &quot;tightening economic sanctions&quot;.

Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the &quot;international community to incrcease pressure&quot; on North Korea and convice them to &quot;return to the path of dialogue&quot;.

Reiterating its statement that &quot;all options were on the table&quot;, the statement further said: &quot;We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees.&quot;

The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea&#39;s intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed.

The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime.&nbsp;

But if China&#39;s efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution.

THAAD trouble

The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region.

THAAD&#39;s deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure.

Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula.

But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD.

They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea.

THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

North&#39;s defiance

North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might.

Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the&nbsp;founding anniversary of its military.

The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

While a military solution remains an option, the US first wants to impose tough economic sanctions to deter North Korea from its nuclear programme

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un "to his senses". The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington's tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme. After briefing senators at the White House, a statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump's desire to "dismantle" North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by "tightening economic sanctions". Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the "international community to incrcease pressure" on North Korea and convice them to "return to the path of dialogue". Reiterating its statement that "all options were on the table", the statement further said: "We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees." The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea's intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed. The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime. But if China's efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution. THAAD trouble The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning. But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region. THAAD's deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure. Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD. They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea. THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. North's defiance North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might. Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the founding anniversary of its military. The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US wants to ramp up North Korea sanctions to bring Kim 'to his senses'

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington&#39;s relations with North Korea remains on a&nbsp;knife edge.

Yonhap, South Korea&#39;s largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme.

North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test.

South Korea&#39;s defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017.

South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang.

The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

Controversial THAAD

Although THAAD will ease South Korea&#39;s security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor.

Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US&#39; presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests.

China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea&#39;s decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing.

In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to &quot;military and intelligence agencies&quot; have &quot;launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea&#39;s government, military and a big conglomerate&quot;, according to a report in the Journal.

Local unrest

The deployment has also raised concerns among locals.

Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region&#39;s golf courses.

The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them.

They also cite environmental concerns.

On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions.

US offensive

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific.

Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang&#39;s behaviour.

But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for &quot;restraint&quot; regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump.

US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The THAAD arrived in the South as North Korea continues with its ballistic missile programme

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington's relations with North Korea remains on a knife edge. Yonhap, South Korea's largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning. The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme. North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test. South Korea's defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017. South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang. The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. Controversial THAAD Although THAAD will ease South Korea's security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor. Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US' presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests. China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea's decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing. In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to "military and intelligence agencies" have "launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea's government, military and a big conglomerate", according to a report in the Journal. Local unrest The deployment has also raised concerns among locals. Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region's golf courses. The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them. They also cite environmental concerns. On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions. US offensive The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific. Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang's behaviour. But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep. Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for "restraint" regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump. US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US' missile defence interceptor arrives in South Korea to counter North's threat

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s weapons ambitions.

Speculation had mounted that the North could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the founding of its army.

But no such event -- which usually happens in the morning -- had taken place by the evening, and instead Seoul&#39;s defence ministry said Pyongyang was conducting a &quot;massive fire drill&quot; in the eastern port city of Wonsan.

The South&#39;s Yonhap news agency cited a government source as saying the exercise was the North&#39;s &quot;largest ever&quot; and was presumed to have been overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un.

Washington has sent the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula, where it is expected to arrive -- after a derision-provoking delay -- later this week.

Confusion had clouded the carrier&#39;s whereabouts earlier this month after US officials indicated it was sailing towards North Korea when in fact it was heading south.

The vessel will take part in joint naval drills with the South&#39;s forces to &quot;demonstrate Seoul and Washington&#39;s strong determination to punish North Korean provocations&quot;, the South Korean Navy said in a statement.

They will take place in the East Sea, the South&#39;s name for the Sea of Japan, it said, and the two allies will also begin joint naval exercises in the West Sea -- what it calls the Yellow Sea -- on Tuesday &quot;in relation to the current security situation&quot;.

The nuclear-powered US submarine USS Michigan also made a port call at Busan in the South on Tuesday in another show of force, while US navy destroyers carried out separate joint exercises with Japanese and South Korean vessels.

President Donald Trump has said the US was sending an &quot;armada&quot; to the Korean peninsula, including submarines.

According to the US Navy&#39;s Submarine Force Pacific website, the USS Michigan carries more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

They are capable of precision strikes against the North&#39;s nuclear facilities, but the South Korean Navy called the visit &quot;routine&quot; and said the submarine would not take part in any joint exercises.

&nbsp;

&#39;Brutal punishment&#39;

North Korea has ambitions to build a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US mainland. Tensions have soared in recent months as it carried out a string of missile tests that sparked tit-for-tat sabre-rattling between it and Washington.

Pyongyang&#39;s rhetoric always intensifies in the spring, when Seoul and Washington hold joint military drills which it sees as rehearsals for an invasion.

The North&#39;s Rodong Sinmun -- the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers&#39; Party of Korea -- warned Tuesday of dire consequences in the event of a US-led pre-emptive strike.

It promised &quot;the most brutal punishment... in the sky and land as well as at sea and from underwater without any warning or prior notice&quot;.

North Korea launched two missile tests this month while Trump and his senior aides have warned that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; against Pyongyang, including military action.

Trump on Monday urged UN Security Council ambassadors to consider stronger sanctions against Pyongyang, and US senators will be briefed on North Korea at the White House on Wednesday.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to chair a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on the North on Friday.

The North says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion. A spokesman for its foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed the meetings -- coupled with Trump&#39;s fresh policy of &quot;maximum pressure and engagement&quot; on Pyongyang -- showed the threat it faced from the US.

&quot;They are explicitly advocating pressure on us, which is as dangerous as lighting the fuse on an all-out war,&quot; he said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.

Top nuclear envoys from Japan, South Korea and the United States met Tuesday in Tokyo and vowed &quot;stern action&quot; against any fresh North Korean provocations.

US special representative Joseph Yun said he discussed American policy to &quot;enhance pressure&quot; on Pyongyang &quot;because we really do not believe that North Korea is ready to engage us towards denuclearisation&quot;.

The trio also agreed that China and Russia should play a bigger role in reining in the North, said Kim Hong-Kyun, South Korea&#39;s chief envoy on the issue.

&quot;Cooperation with China and Russia is the most important for effective pressure on North Korea,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

A government source said the exercise was the North's 'largest ever' and presumably was watched by Kim Jung Un

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang's weapons ambitions. Speculation had mounted that the North could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the founding of its army. But no such event -- which usually happens in the morning -- had taken place by the evening, and instead Seoul's defence ministry said Pyongyang was conducting a "massive fire drill" in the eastern port city of Wonsan. The South's Yonhap news agency cited a government source as saying the exercise was the North's "largest ever" and was presumed to have been overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un. Washington has sent the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula, where it is expected to arrive -- after a derision-provoking delay -- later this week. Confusion had clouded the carrier's whereabouts earlier this month after US officials indicated it was sailing towards North Korea when in fact it was heading south. The vessel will take part in joint naval drills with the South's forces to "demonstrate Seoul and Washington's strong determination to punish North Korean provocations", the South Korean Navy said in a statement. They will take place in the East Sea, the South's name for the Sea of Japan, it said, and the two allies will also begin joint naval exercises in the West Sea -- what it calls the Yellow Sea -- on Tuesday "in relation to the current security situation". The nuclear-powered US submarine USS Michigan also made a port call at Busan in the South on Tuesday in another show of force, while US navy destroyers carried out separate joint exercises with Japanese and South Korean vessels. President Donald Trump has said the US was sending an "armada" to the Korean peninsula, including submarines. According to the US Navy's Submarine Force Pacific website, the USS Michigan carries more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles. They are capable of precision strikes against the North's nuclear facilities, but the South Korean Navy called the visit "routine" and said the submarine would not take part in any joint exercises. 'Brutal punishment' North Korea has ambitions to build a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US mainland. Tensions have soared in recent months as it carried out a string of missile tests that sparked tit-for-tat sabre-rattling between it and Washington. Pyongyang's rhetoric always intensifies in the spring, when Seoul and Washington hold joint military drills which it sees as rehearsals for an invasion. The North's Rodong Sinmun -- the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea -- warned Tuesday of dire consequences in the event of a US-led pre-emptive strike. It promised "the most brutal punishment... in the sky and land as well as at sea and from underwater without any warning or prior notice". North Korea launched two missile tests this month while Trump and his senior aides have warned that "all options are on the table" against Pyongyang, including military action. Trump on Monday urged UN Security Council ambassadors to consider stronger sanctions against Pyongyang, and US senators will be briefed on North Korea at the White House on Wednesday. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to chair a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on the North on Friday. The North says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion. A spokesman for its foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed the meetings -- coupled with Trump's fresh policy of "maximum pressure and engagement" on Pyongyang -- showed the threat it faced from the US. "They are explicitly advocating pressure on us, which is as dangerous as lighting the fuse on an all-out war," he said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. Top nuclear envoys from Japan, South Korea and the United States met Tuesday in Tokyo and vowed "stern action" against any fresh North Korean provocations. US special representative Joseph Yun said he discussed American policy to "enhance pressure" on Pyongyang "because we really do not believe that North Korea is ready to engage us towards denuclearisation". The trio also agreed that China and Russia should play a bigger role in reining in the North, said Kim Hong-Kyun, South Korea's chief envoy on the issue. "Cooperation with China and Russia is the most important for effective pressure on North Korea," he said. (AFP)

North Korea marks military anniversary with firing drill

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters.

Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US&nbsp;aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North.

Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises.

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour.

Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

China &quot;hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula&quot;, the statement paraphrased Xi as saying.

The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said.

Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches.

&#39;Repeated Provocation&#39; 
Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a &quot;thorough exchange of views&quot;.

&quot;We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint,&quot; Abe told reporters.

&quot;We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly,&quot; he said.

Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang.

A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation.

The US&nbsp;government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive &quot;within days&quot;.

South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy.

&quot;I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test,&quot; Moon said.

 
South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test.

Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week.

However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a &quot;tactical pause&quot; before another test or was carrying out normal operations.

Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, and lead to war

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all sides to exercise restraint on Monday in a call with US President Donald Trump, as a nervous South Korea and Japan sought to join drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters. Reclusive North Korea said at the weekend it was ready to sink the US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, which Trump had ordered to waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning to the nuclear-armed North. Japan said on Sunday it had sent two Japanese destroyers to join the carrier group for drills, and South Korea said it was also in talks about holding joint naval exercises. China is increasingly worried the situation may spin out of control, leading to war and a chaotic collapse of its isolated and poverty-struck neighbour. Xi told Trump that China resolutely opposes any actions that run counter to UN Security Council resolutions, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said. China "hopes that all relevant sides exercise restraint, and avoid doing anything to worsen the tense situation on the peninsula", the statement paraphrased Xi as saying. The nuclear issue can only be resolved quickly with all relevant countries pulling in the same direction, and China is willing to work with all parties, including the United States, to ensure peace, Xi said. Tensions have risen sharply in recent months, with Washington and its allies fearing Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear missile test or launch more ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions. North Korea celebrates the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People`s Army on Tuesday, and has marked similar events in the past with nuclear tests or missile launches. 'Repeated Provocation' Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described his conversation with Trump as a "thorough exchange of views". "We agreed to strongly demand that North Korea, which is repeating its provocation, show restraint," Abe told reporters. "We will maintain close contact with the United States, keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly," he said. Abe also said he and Trump agreed that China, North Korea`s sole major ally, should play a large role in dealing with Pyongyang. A Japanese official said the phone call between Trump and Abe was not prompted by any specific change in the situation. The US government has not specified where the carrier strike group is, but U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days". South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun gave no further details about the South`s plans, other than saying Seoul was holding discussions with the US Navy. "I can say the South Korean and US militaries are fully ready for North Korea`s nuclear test," Moon said. South Korean and U.S. officials have feared for some time that North Korea could soon carry out its sixth nuclear test. Satellite imagery analysed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, found some activity under way at North Korea`s Punggye-ri nuclear test site last week. However, the group said it was unclear whether the site was in a "tactical pause" before another test or was carrying out normal operations. Adding to the heightened tensions, North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Saturday as he attempted to leave the country. (Reuters)

China's Xi calls Trump as carrier heads for Korea, calls for restraint

The UN Security Council has to be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo &quot;unacceptable.&quot;

&quot;This is a real threat to the world,&quot; Trump said while hosting UN Security Council ambassadors at the White House. &quot;North Korea is a big world problem. And it&#39;s a problem we have to finally solve.&quot;

&quot;The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs,&quot; he said.

The comments are sure to once again ratchet up tensions.

North Korea is pushing on with its ballistic missile program, believed to be preparing a sixth nuclear weapons test, and has detained a US citizen -- the third to be held in the country.

At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea. The group is due to arrive by the end of April.

The Pentagon said its leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to US senators on Wednesday at the White House, rather than the usual secure rooms at the Capitol.

US Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Washington after visits to Asia and Australia, with North Korea headlining talks.

Trump has intimated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, while rejecting bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

&quot;People have put blindfolds on for decades and now it&#39;s time to solve the problem,&quot; he said.

The US leader spoke about North Korea in telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, the White House said.

In the call with Xi, &quot;the two leaders reaffirmed the urgency of the threat posed by North Korea&#39;s missile and nuclear programs, and committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,&quot; a White House statement said.

(AFP)

Pyongyang is a real threat to the world, the US president told the United Nations Security Council ambassadors

The UN Security Council has to be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo "unacceptable." "This is a real threat to the world," Trump said while hosting UN Security Council ambassadors at the White House. "North Korea is a big world problem. And it's a problem we have to finally solve." "The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs," he said. The comments are sure to once again ratchet up tensions. North Korea is pushing on with its ballistic missile program, believed to be preparing a sixth nuclear weapons test, and has detained a US citizen -- the third to be held in the country. At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea. The group is due to arrive by the end of April. The Pentagon said its leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to US senators on Wednesday at the White House, rather than the usual secure rooms at the Capitol. US Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Washington after visits to Asia and Australia, with North Korea headlining talks. Trump has intimated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, while rejecting bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. "People have put blindfolds on for decades and now it's time to solve the problem," he said. The US leader spoke about North Korea in telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, the White House said. In the call with Xi, "the two leaders reaffirmed the urgency of the threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, and committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," a White House statement said. (AFP)

Trump urges UN to impose 'stronger sanctions' on North Korea

North Korea said on Sunday it was ready to sink a U.S. aircraft carrier to demonstrate its military might, as two Japanese navy ships joined a U.S. carrier group for exercises in the western Pacific.

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group to sail to waters off the Korean peninsula in response to rising tension over the North&#39;s nuclear and missile tests, and its threats to attack the United States and its Asian allies.

The United States has not specified where the carrier strike group is as it approaches the area. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive &quot;within days&quot; but gave no other details.

North Korea remained defiant.

&quot;Our revolutionary forces are combat-ready to sink a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a single strike,&quot; the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North&#39;s ruling Workers&#39; Party, said in a commentary.

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<h5>Our revolutionary forces are combat-ready to sink a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a single strike,&#39; the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North&#39;s ruling Workers&#39; Party, said in a commentary</h5>
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The paper likened the aircraft carrier to a &quot;gross animal&quot; and said a strike on it would be &quot;an actual example to show our military&#39;s force&quot;.

The commentary was carried on page three of the newspaper, after a two-page feature about leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a pig farm.

North Korea will mark the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People&#39;s Army on Tuesday.

It has in the past marked important anniversaries with tests of its weapons.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, two of them last year, and is working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States.

It has also carried out a series of ballistic missile tests in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

North Korea&#39;s growing nuclear and missile threat is perhaps the most serious security challenge confronting Trump.

He has vowed to prevent the North from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile and has said all options are on the table, including a military strike.

WORRY IN JAPAN

North Korea says its nuclear programme is for self-defence and has warned the United States of a nuclear attack in response to any aggression. It has also threatened to lay waste to South Korea and Japan.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday North Korea&#39;s recent statements were provocative but had proven to be hollow in the past and should not be trusted.

&quot;We&#39;ve all come to hear their words repeatedly, their word has not proven honest,&quot; Mattis told a news conference in Tel Aviv, before the latest threat to the aircraft carrier.

Japan&#39;s show of naval force reflects growing concern that North Korea could strike it with nuclear or chemical warheads.

Some Japanese ruling party lawmakers are urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to acquire strike weapons that could hit North Korean missile forces before any imminent attack.

Japan&#39;s navy, which is mostly a destroyer fleet, is the second largest in Asia after China&#39;s.

The two Japanese warships, the Samidare and Ashigara, left western Japan on Friday to join the Carl Vinson and will &quot;practice a variety of tactics&quot; with the U.S. strike group, the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force said in a statement.

The Japanese force did not specify where the exercises were taking place but by Sunday the destroyers could have reached an area 2,500 km (1,500 miles) south of Japan, which would be waters east of the Philippines.

From there, it could take three days to reach waters off the Korean peninsula. Japan&#39;s ships would accompany the Carl Vinson north at least into the East China Sea, a source with knowledge of the plan said.

U.S. and South Korean officials have been saying for weeks that the North could soon stage another nuclear test, something the United States, China and others have warned against.

South Korea has put is forces on heightened alert.

China, North Korea&#39;s sole major ally which nevertheless opposes Pyongyang&#39;s weapons programmes and belligerence, has appealed for calm. The United States has called on China to do more to help defuse the tension.

Last Thursday, Trump praised Chinese efforts to rein in &quot;the menace of North Korea&quot;, after North Korean state media warned the United States of a &quot;super-mighty preemptive strike&quot;.

(Reuters)

The USS Carl Vinson is somewhere off the Korean peninsula

North Korea said on Sunday it was ready to sink a U.S. aircraft carrier to demonstrate its military might, as two Japanese navy ships joined a U.S. carrier group for exercises in the western Pacific. U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group to sail to waters off the Korean peninsula in response to rising tension over the North's nuclear and missile tests, and its threats to attack the United States and its Asian allies. The United States has not specified where the carrier strike group is as it approaches the area. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days" but gave no other details. North Korea remained defiant. "Our revolutionary forces are combat-ready to sink a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a single strike," the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary. Our revolutionary forces are combat-ready to sink a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with a single strike,' the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary × The paper likened the aircraft carrier to a "gross animal" and said a strike on it would be "an actual example to show our military's force". The commentary was carried on page three of the newspaper, after a two-page feature about leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a pig farm. North Korea will mark the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army on Tuesday. It has in the past marked important anniversaries with tests of its weapons. North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, two of them last year, and is working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States. It has also carried out a series of ballistic missile tests in defiance of United Nations sanctions. North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threat is perhaps the most serious security challenge confronting Trump. He has vowed to prevent the North from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile and has said all options are on the table, including a military strike. WORRY IN JAPAN North Korea says its nuclear programme is for self-defence and has warned the United States of a nuclear attack in response to any aggression. It has also threatened to lay waste to South Korea and Japan. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday North Korea's recent statements were provocative but had proven to be hollow in the past and should not be trusted. "We've all come to hear their words repeatedly, their word has not proven honest," Mattis told a news conference in Tel Aviv, before the latest threat to the aircraft carrier. Japan's show of naval force reflects growing concern that North Korea could strike it with nuclear or chemical warheads. Some Japanese ruling party lawmakers are urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to acquire strike weapons that could hit North Korean missile forces before any imminent attack. Japan's navy, which is mostly a destroyer fleet, is the second largest in Asia after China's. The two Japanese warships, the Samidare and Ashigara, left western Japan on Friday to join the Carl Vinson and will "practice a variety of tactics" with the U.S. strike group, the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force said in a statement. The Japanese force did not specify where the exercises were taking place but by Sunday the destroyers could have reached an area 2,500 km (1,500 miles) south of Japan, which would be waters east of the Philippines. From there, it could take three days to reach waters off the Korean peninsula. Japan's ships would accompany the Carl Vinson north at least into the East China Sea, a source with knowledge of the plan said. U.S. and South Korean officials have been saying for weeks that the North could soon stage another nuclear test, something the United States, China and others have warned against. South Korea has put is forces on heightened alert. China, North Korea's sole major ally which nevertheless opposes Pyongyang's weapons programmes and belligerence, has appealed for calm. The United States has called on China to do more to help defuse the tension. Last Thursday, Trump praised Chinese efforts to rein in "the menace of North Korea", after North Korean state media warned the United States of a "super-mighty preemptive strike". (Reuters)

North Korea says ready to strike US aircraft carrier

Two Japanese destroyers on Sunday began an exercise with the US Carl Vinson carrier strike group in the Western Pacific as it approaches waters around the Korean peninsula, Japan&#39;s navy said.

The two Japanese warships, the Samidare and Ashigara, left western Japan on Friday to join the Carl Vinson in a show of solidarity as the United States confronts North Korea over its ballistic missile programme and nuclear tests.

The destroyers will &quot;practice a variety of tactics&quot; with the US&nbsp;strike group, the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (MSDF) said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump ordered the Carl Vinson carrier strike group to sail to the waters off the Korean peninsula in response to rising tension over North Korea.

Japan&#39;s military ordered the warships to accompany the Carl Vinson north at least into the East China Sea, a source with knowledge of the plan said. He asked not to be identified because he is not authorised to talk to the media.

The MSDF did not say how long the Japanese destroyers would stay with the US carrier.

North Korea will mark the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People&#39;s Army on Tuesday. It has in the past marked important anniversaries with tests of its weapons.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear weapons tests, two of them last year, and has carried out a stream of ballistic missile tests, in defiance of UN&nbsp;sanctions.

Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile and has said all options are on the table, including a military strike.

North Korea has warned the United States of a nuclear attack in response to any sign of aggression. It has also threatened to attack US&nbsp;allies South Korea and Japan.

Japan&#39;s show of naval force reflects growing concern that North Korea could strike Japan with nuclear or chemical warheads.

Some ruling party lawmakers are urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to acquire strike weapons that could hit North Korean missile forces before any imminent attack.

Japan&#39;s navy, which is mostly a destroyer fleet, is the second largest in Asia after China&#39;s.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Two Japanese warships joined the Carl Vinson in a show of solidarity as the US confronts North Korea over its ballistic missile programme

Two Japanese destroyers on Sunday began an exercise with the US Carl Vinson carrier strike group in the Western Pacific as it approaches waters around the Korean peninsula, Japan's navy said. The two Japanese warships, the Samidare and Ashigara, left western Japan on Friday to join the Carl Vinson in a show of solidarity as the United States confronts North Korea over its ballistic missile programme and nuclear tests. The destroyers will "practice a variety of tactics" with the US strike group, the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (MSDF) said in a statement. US President Donald Trump ordered the Carl Vinson carrier strike group to sail to the waters off the Korean peninsula in response to rising tension over North Korea. Japan's military ordered the warships to accompany the Carl Vinson north at least into the East China Sea, a source with knowledge of the plan said. He asked not to be identified because he is not authorised to talk to the media. The MSDF did not say how long the Japanese destroyers would stay with the US carrier. North Korea will mark the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army on Tuesday. It has in the past marked important anniversaries with tests of its weapons. North Korea has conducted five nuclear weapons tests, two of them last year, and has carried out a stream of ballistic missile tests, in defiance of UN sanctions. Trump has vowed to prevent North Korea from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile and has said all options are on the table, including a military strike. North Korea has warned the United States of a nuclear attack in response to any sign of aggression. It has also threatened to attack US allies South Korea and Japan. Japan's show of naval force reflects growing concern that North Korea could strike Japan with nuclear or chemical warheads. Some ruling party lawmakers are urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to acquire strike weapons that could hit North Korean missile forces before any imminent attack. Japan's navy, which is mostly a destroyer fleet, is the second largest in Asia after China's. (Reuters)

Japanese destroyers join US warship on exercise as it approaches Korean waters

US&nbsp;officials said today there was a higher-than-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers, signalling a possible heightened state of readiness by reclusive North Korea&#39;s sole major ally, although the officials played down concern and left open a range of possible reasons. Beijing denied its aircraft were on an increased level of alert.

South Korea said on Friday it was on heightened alert ahead of another important anniversary in North Korea, with a large concentration of military hardware amassed on both sides of the border amid concerns about a new nuclear test by Pyongyang.

North Korea marks the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People&#39;s Army on Tuesday, an important anniversary that comes at the end of major winter military drills.&nbsp;There is concern the North will use the next big day on its calendar, April 25, to show off its strength.

&quot;Although North Korea attempted a missile launch but failed on April 16, considering the April 25 anniversary of the Korean People&#39;s Army, there are concerns that it can make another provocation again at any time,&quot; South Korea&#39;s acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn told top officials on Thursday.

In Russia, the RIA news agency said a Kremlin spokesman declined to comment on media reports Russia was moving military hardware and troops towards the border with North Korea.

US&nbsp;and South Korean officials have been saying for weeks that the North could soon stage another nuclear test in violation of United Nations sanctions, something both the United States and China have warned against.

Top envoys from the United States, South Korea and Japan are due to meet on Tuesday, South Korea&#39;s foreign ministry said, to &quot;discuss plans to rein in North Korea&#39;s additional high-strength provocations, to maximize pressure on the North, and to ensure China&#39;s constructive role in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue&quot;.

South Korea and the United States have also been conducting annual joint military exercises, which the North routinely criticises as a prelude to invasion.&nbsp;The joint US-South Korea military exercises are due to finish at the end of April.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpp-h_wI_Cc">(WATCH: US, South Korean Air Force conduct joint air operations on Korean peninsula)</a>

&quot;It is a situation where a lot of exercise equipment is amassed in North Korea and also a lot of strategic assets are situated on the Korean peninsula because of the South Korea-US&nbsp;military drills,&quot; Lee told a briefing.

&quot;We are closely watching the situation and will not be letting our guards down.&quot;

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&nbsp;praised Chinese efforts to rein in &quot;the menace of North Korea&quot;, after North Korean state media warned the United States of a &quot;super-mighty preemptive strike&quot;.

US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday North Korea&#39;s rhetoric was provocative but he had learned not to trust it.

Trump told a news conference &quot;some very unusual moves have been made over the last two or three hours&quot;, and that he was confident Chinese President Xi Jinping would &quot;try very hard&quot; to pressure North Korea over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Trump gave no indication of what the moves might be. None of the US&nbsp;officials who told Reuters about the heightened level of activity by Chinese bombers suggested alarm or signalled that they knew the precise reason for such activity.&nbsp;A US&nbsp;aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, is heading towards the Korean Peninsula, Trump&#39;s administration has said.

China&#39;s defence ministry denied its aircraft were on high alert, saying in a brief statement late on Friday that its forces on the border with North Korea were maintaining a state of normal combat preparedness and training.

Asked earlier about Trump&#39;s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Xi and Trump had had a full and deep discussion about North Korea when they met this month.

&quot;I can only say that via deep communications between China and the US&nbsp;at various levels including at the highest levels, the US&nbsp;now has an even fuller and more correct understanding of China&#39;s policy and position and has a more rounded understanding of China&#39;s efforts,&quot; Lu said.

An official Chinese newspaper said there was optimism about persuading the North to end its pursuit of a nuclear programme without the use of force, &quot;now that even the once tough-talking Donald Trump is onboard for a peaceful solution&quot;.

&quot;Beijing has demonstrated due enthusiasm for Washington&#39;s newfound interest in a diplomatic solution and willingness to work more closely with it,&quot; the state-run China Daily said in an editorial.

&quot;Without crossing the red line such as a nuclear test or a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, until the April 25 anniversary of the Korean People&#39;s Army, North Korea is expected to continue to launch mid-range missiles,&quot; said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior research fellow at Sejong Institute outside Seoul.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

US?officials say there was a higher-than-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers

US officials said today there was a higher-than-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers, signalling a possible heightened state of readiness by reclusive North Korea's sole major ally, although the officials played down concern and left open a range of possible reasons. Beijing denied its aircraft were on an increased level of alert. South Korea said on Friday it was on heightened alert ahead of another important anniversary in North Korea, with a large concentration of military hardware amassed on both sides of the border amid concerns about a new nuclear test by Pyongyang. North Korea marks the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army on Tuesday, an important anniversary that comes at the end of major winter military drills. There is concern the North will use the next big day on its calendar, April 25, to show off its strength. "Although North Korea attempted a missile launch but failed on April 16, considering the April 25 anniversary of the Korean People's Army, there are concerns that it can make another provocation again at any time," South Korea's acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn told top officials on Thursday. In Russia, the RIA news agency said a Kremlin spokesman declined to comment on media reports Russia was moving military hardware and troops towards the border with North Korea. US and South Korean officials have been saying for weeks that the North could soon stage another nuclear test in violation of United Nations sanctions, something both the United States and China have warned against. Top envoys from the United States, South Korea and Japan are due to meet on Tuesday, South Korea's foreign ministry said, to "discuss plans to rein in North Korea's additional high-strength provocations, to maximize pressure on the North, and to ensure China's constructive role in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue". South Korea and the United States have also been conducting annual joint military exercises, which the North routinely criticises as a prelude to invasion. The joint US-South Korea military exercises are due to finish at the end of April.(WATCH: US, South Korean Air Force conduct joint air operations on Korean peninsula) "It is a situation where a lot of exercise equipment is amassed in North Korea and also a lot of strategic assets are situated on the Korean peninsula because of the South Korea-US military drills," Lee told a briefing. "We are closely watching the situation and will not be letting our guards down." US President Donald Trump praised Chinese efforts to rein in "the menace of North Korea", after North Korean state media warned the United States of a "super-mighty preemptive strike". US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday North Korea's rhetoric was provocative but he had learned not to trust it. Trump told a news conference "some very unusual moves have been made over the last two or three hours", and that he was confident Chinese President Xi Jinping would "try very hard" to pressure North Korea over its nuclear and missile programmes. Trump gave no indication of what the moves might be. None of the US officials who told Reuters about the heightened level of activity by Chinese bombers suggested alarm or signalled that they knew the precise reason for such activity. A US aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, is heading towards the Korean Peninsula, Trump's administration has said. China's defence ministry denied its aircraft were on high alert, saying in a brief statement late on Friday that its forces on the border with North Korea were maintaining a state of normal combat preparedness and training. Asked earlier about Trump's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Xi and Trump had had a full and deep discussion about North Korea when they met this month. "I can only say that via deep communications between China and the US at various levels including at the highest levels, the US now has an even fuller and more correct understanding of China's policy and position and has a more rounded understanding of China's efforts," Lu said. An official Chinese newspaper said there was optimism about persuading the North to end its pursuit of a nuclear programme without the use of force, "now that even the once tough-talking Donald Trump is onboard for a peaceful solution". "Beijing has demonstrated due enthusiasm for Washington's newfound interest in a diplomatic solution and willingness to work more closely with it," the state-run China Daily said in an editorial. "Without crossing the red line such as a nuclear test or a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, until the April 25 anniversary of the Korean People's Army, North Korea is expected to continue to launch mid-range missiles," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior research fellow at Sejong Institute outside Seoul. (Reuters)

China, Russia on high alert over North Korea

When US&nbsp;President Donald Trump boasted early last week that he had sent an &quot;armada&quot; as a warning to North Korea, the aircraft carrier strike group he spoke of was still far from the Korean peninsula, and headed in the opposite direction.

It was even farther away over the weekend, moving through the Sunda Strait and then into the Indian Ocean, as North Korea displayed what appeared to be new missiles at a parade and staged a failed missile test.

The US&nbsp;military&#39;s Pacific Command explained on Tuesday that the strike group first had to complete a shorter-than-initially planned period of training with Australia. But it was now &quot;proceeding to the Western Pacific as ordered,&quot; it said.

The perceived communications mix-up has raised eyebrows among Korea experts, who wonder whether it erodes the Trump administration&#39;s credibility at a time when US&nbsp;rhetoric about the North&#39;s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities are raising concerns about a potential conflict.

&quot;If you threaten them and your threat is not credible, it&#39;s only going to undermine whatever your policy towards them is. And that could be a logical conclusion from what&#39;s just happened,&quot; said North Korea expert Joel Wit at the 38 North monitoring group, run by Johns Hopkins University&#39;s School of Advanced International Studies.

The US&nbsp;military initially said in a statement dated April 10 that Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of Pacific Command, directed the Carl Vinson strike group &quot;to sail north and report on station in the Western Pacific&quot;.

Reuters and other news outlets reported on April 11 that the movement would take more than a week. The Navy, for security reasons, says it does not report future operational locations of its ships.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis initially appeared to play down the deployment on April 11, saying the Vinson was &quot;just on her way up there because that&#39;s where we thought it was most prudent to have her at this time&quot;.

&quot;There&#39;s not a specific demand signal or specific reason why we&#39;re sending her up there,&quot; he said.

But even Mattis initially misspoke about the strike group&#39;s itinerary, telling a news conference that the Vinson had pulled out of an exercise with Australia.

The Pentagon has since corrected the record, saying the ship&#39;s planned port visit to Fremantle, Australia, was cancelled - not the exercise with Australia&#39;s navy.

On April 15, the US&nbsp;Navy even published a photo showing the Vinson transiting the Sunda Strait.&nbsp;

From April 16-18, the website http://www.gonavy.jp/CVLocation.html reported that the Vinson was in the Indian Ocean.

A US&nbsp;military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Vinson carried out the exercises after passing through the Sunda Strait and wrapped them up this week.

(Reuters)

This has raised eyebrows among Korea experts who wonder if it erodes the Trump administration's credibility during a time of heated rhetoric

When US President Donald Trump boasted early last week that he had sent an "armada" as a warning to North Korea, the aircraft carrier strike group he spoke of was still far from the Korean peninsula, and headed in the opposite direction. It was even farther away over the weekend, moving through the Sunda Strait and then into the Indian Ocean, as North Korea displayed what appeared to be new missiles at a parade and staged a failed missile test. The US military's Pacific Command explained on Tuesday that the strike group first had to complete a shorter-than-initially planned period of training with Australia. But it was now "proceeding to the Western Pacific as ordered," it said. The perceived communications mix-up has raised eyebrows among Korea experts, who wonder whether it erodes the Trump administration's credibility at a time when US rhetoric about the North's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities are raising concerns about a potential conflict. "If you threaten them and your threat is not credible, it's only going to undermine whatever your policy towards them is. And that could be a logical conclusion from what's just happened," said North Korea expert Joel Wit at the 38 North monitoring group, run by Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. The US military initially said in a statement dated April 10 that Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of Pacific Command, directed the Carl Vinson strike group "to sail north and report on station in the Western Pacific". Reuters and other news outlets reported on April 11 that the movement would take more than a week. The Navy, for security reasons, says it does not report future operational locations of its ships. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis initially appeared to play down the deployment on April 11, saying the Vinson was "just on her way up there because that's where we thought it was most prudent to have her at this time". "There's not a specific demand signal or specific reason why we're sending her up there," he said. But even Mattis initially misspoke about the strike group's itinerary, telling a news conference that the Vinson had pulled out of an exercise with Australia. The Pentagon has since corrected the record, saying the ship's planned port visit to Fremantle, Australia, was cancelled - not the exercise with Australia's navy. On April 15, the US Navy even published a photo showing the Vinson transiting the Sunda Strait. From April 16-18, the website http://www.gonavy.jp/CVLocation.html reported that the Vinson was in the Indian Ocean. A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Vinson carried out the exercises after passing through the Sunda Strait and wrapped them up this week. (Reuters)

Trump boasted of sending 'armada' to warn North Korea, but it was heading in opposite direction

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump&#39;s resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear tests.

After a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang and a failed North Korean missile test during the weekend, U.S. officials praised China for stepping up efforts to rein in North Korea, Beijing&#39;s neighbour and ally.

But Pence and South Korea&#39;s acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said they would proceed with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defence system, in spite of Chinese objections.

At a White House Easter celebration on Monday, Trump was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: &ldquo;Gotta behave.&rdquo;

But senior North Korean officials remained defiant.

North Korea&#39;s deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating &ldquo;a situation where nuclear war could break out at any time&rdquo; and said Pyongyang&#39;s next nuclear test would take place &quot;at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary.&quot;

North Korea&#39;s Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on &quot;a weekly, monthly and yearly basis.&quot;

Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of North Korea&#39;s Foreign Ministry, told Reuters in Pyongyang that if Washington made &quot;the slightest movement&quot; to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and &quot;destroy the aggressors without any mercy.&rdquo;

He went on to clarify that the approach of a U.S. naval strike force led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to Korean waters would not be considered enough to constitute &ldquo;the slightest movement&rdquo;.

Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions. Washington is increasingly worried about North Korean efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland.

Speaking alongside Hwang, Pence said the world had witnessed Trump&#39;s resolve in the past two weeks, which saw a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airfield and the dropping of a powerful non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State in Afghanistan.

&quot;North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region,&quot; Pence said on what was his first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that Trump is not turning his back on the increasingly volatile part of the world.

Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its &quot;ironclad alliance&quot; with South Korea.

&quot;All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country,&quot; he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ).

The Trump administration has said that military action remains an option for dealing with North Korea.

But mindful that this would likely trigger massive retaliation and casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops there, U.S. officials say the Trump administration&#39;s main focus is on tougher economic sanctions to try to get Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs.

Trump himself, when asked on Monday if he was considering military action, told Fox News Channel he didn&#39;t want to &quot;telegraph&quot; his plans like the previous administration.

&quot;We&rsquo;ll see what happens. I hope things work out well,&quot; he said but added that the United States had tried to engage the North Koreans in talks for a long time.

On Sunday, Trump&#39;s national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea&#39;s latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

He indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the dispatch the carrier group.

U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea&#39;s airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang. They say greater Chinese cooperation is vital.

NO &#39;RED LINES&#39;

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some &quot;very helpful&quot; steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be. Asked if Trump had a &quot;red line&quot; on North Korea, Spicer said the president did not believe these worked.

Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China&#39;s top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang &quot;to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearisation.&rdquo;

Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test &quot;would draw a pretty significant international response.&quot;

&quot;We&rsquo;re definitely not seeking conflict or regime change,&quot; she said. &quot;But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary.&rdquo;

Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney.

His economic discussions will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an &quot;America First&quot; platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations like China and Japan.

But Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea.

China has appeared increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting United Nations sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks.

China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country&#39;s most important export, in February, and Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North.

However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was &quot;highly sensitive, complicated and high risk&quot; and all sides should &quot;avoid taking provocative actions &quot;

(Reuters)

The statement was made by the country's deputy representative to the UN who accused America of creating the situation

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned North Korea on Monday that recent American military strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed President Donald Trump's resolve should not be questioned, but Pyongyang vowed to continue missile and nuclear tests. After a huge display of missiles in Pyongyang and a failed North Korean missile test during the weekend, U.S. officials praised China for stepping up efforts to rein in North Korea, Beijing's neighbour and ally. But Pence and South Korea's acting president, Hwang Kyo-ahn, said they would proceed with the early deployment to South Korea of the U.S. THAAD missile-defence system, in spite of Chinese objections. At a White House Easter celebration on Monday, Trump was asked if he had a message for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and replied: “Gotta behave.” But senior North Korean officials remained defiant. North Korea's deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused Washington of creating “a situation where nuclear war could break out at any time” and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary." North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would continue to be tested on "a weekly, monthly and yearly basis." Kim Song Gyong, director general of the European Department of North Korea's Foreign Ministry, told Reuters in Pyongyang that if Washington made "the slightest movement" to make a nuclear strike on North Korea, Pyongyang would strike first and "destroy the aggressors without any mercy.” He went on to clarify that the approach of a U.S. naval strike force led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to Korean waters would not be considered enough to constitute “the slightest movement”. Korean tensions have escalated following repeated North Korean missile tests and concerns that Pyongyang may soon conduct a sixth nuclear bomb test in defiance of U.N. sanctions. Washington is increasingly worried about North Korean efforts to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that could hit the U.S. mainland. Speaking alongside Hwang, Pence said the world had witnessed Trump's resolve in the past two weeks, which saw a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airfield and the dropping of a powerful non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State in Afghanistan. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region," Pence said on what was his first stop of a four-nation Asia tour intended to show that Trump is not turning his back on the increasingly volatile part of the world. Pence, whose father served in the 1950-53 Korean War, visited the North-South border on Monday and said Washington would stand by its "ironclad alliance" with South Korea. "All options are on the table to achieve the objectives and ensure the stability of the people of this country," he told reporters as tinny propaganda music floated across from the North Korean side of the so-called demilitarized zone (DMZ). The Trump administration has said that military action remains an option for dealing with North Korea. But mindful that this would likely trigger massive retaliation and casualties in South Korea and Japan and among U.S. troops there, U.S. officials say the Trump administration's main focus is on tougher economic sanctions to try to get Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs. Trump himself, when asked on Monday if he was considering military action, told Fox News Channel he didn't want to "telegraph" his plans like the previous administration. "We’ll see what happens. I hope things work out well," he said but added that the United States had tried to engage the North Koreans in talks for a long time. On Sunday, Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said that the United States, its allies and China were working on a range of responses to North Korea's latest missile test, citing what he called an international consensus to act. He indicated Trump was not considering military action for now, despite the dispatch the carrier group. U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea's airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang. They say greater Chinese cooperation is vital. NO 'RED LINES' White House spokesman Sean Spicer said China had taken some "very helpful" steps, although it remained to be seen how effective these would be. Asked if Trump had a "red line" on North Korea, Spicer said the president did not believe these worked. Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions and for international action to press Pyongyang "to cease provocative actions and recommit to peaceful denuclearisation.” Thornton said any new North Korean nuclear test "would draw a pretty significant international response." "We’re definitely not seeking conflict or regime change," she said. "But we are committed to defending our people and our allies should it be necessary.” Pence is expected to discuss Korean tensions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday when he travels to Tokyo for economic talks with Finance Minister Taro Aso. He will also visit Jakarta and Sydney. His economic discussions will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an "America First" platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations like China and Japan. But Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea. China has appeared increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang, speaking out against its weapons tests and supporting United Nations sanctions, while repeatedly calling for talks. China banned imports of North Korean coal, the country's most important export, in February, and Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North. However, Beijing says the crisis is one between the United States and North Korea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the situation was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions " (Reuters)

'Nuclear war could break out at any time,' says North Korea

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