NKorea leader demands ‘miraculous’ nuclear development

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL (AA) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for further nuclear advancement as he oversaw a triple ballistic missile launch this week, according to Pyongyang’s official media Tuesday.

A report from the North’s KCNA news agency revealed that the dictator demanded more “miraculous achievements in bolstering up the nuclear force”.

The order comes despite renewed calls for the peninsula’s denuclearization during this week’s gathering of key regional players at the G20 summit in China.

Pyongyang incurred strengthened United Nations sanctions in March following its fourth ever nuclear test at the start of the year.

North Korea claimed that test involved a hydrogen bomb and the reclusive state is also fast developing the technology to launch ballistic missiles from submarines.

With Chinese leader Xi Jinping reiterating Monday his commitment to international punitive measures, Beijing may be expected to back a statement of condemnation from the United Nations Security Council in response to the North’s latest missile tests, which the KCNA report said demonstrated Pyongyang’s capability “of mounting a pre-emptive attack on the enemies any time and from any place”.

China has adopted a balance between supporting sanctions against the North while maintaining cooperation with its traditional ally in recent months.

Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea – perceived as enemies by Pyongyang – are set to ponder their plan going forward.

Seoul’s presidential office confirmed Tuesday morning that leader Park Geun-hye would be holding talks with her American counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the ASEAN meet in Laos later in the day.

It will be the first summit between Park and Obama since Seoul and Washington announced in July that they would deploy a contentious anti-missile system in the South by the end of next year, against the wishes of both North Korea and China.