North Korea to ‘Boost Nuclear Deterrent’ After Latest US Threats

North Korean FM: Policy Will Remain as US Continues Hostile Policies

Faced with another round of US threats late last week to impose yet more sanctions and see North Korea “further isolated,” the reclusive nation has announced it is going to continue to boost its “nuclear deterrent.”

The statement, from North Korea’s foreign ministry, warned that the policy of increasing its arsenal would continue “as long as the United States was continuing with its hostile policies.” Needless to say, there is no serious chance of the US not being hostile toward it.

The latest round of hostility came last month, when North Korea failed to put a satellite in orbit. The US responded by announcing it is cancelling all food aid to North Korea because it considered the launch a “provocative act.” The US has also brought the matter to the UN Security Council, demanding unspecified action to punish them for the launch.

The statement adds to speculation that North Korea is planning a new nuclear test. The US threatened a “swift and sure response” if any such tests took place, and demanded that North Korea abandon the program.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.