A North Korean diplomat said on Friday that Pyongyang intended to continue its nuclear testing program in the interests of self-defense, Reuters reported, citing the Russian news agency RIA.
The diplomat, who RIA named as a member of the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s U.S. Studies Department called Nam Hyok-Tsen, also accused U.S. President Donald Trump of playing “nuclear football.”
He spoke to a non-proliferation conference in Moscow.
“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is constantly being convinced that developing nuclear weapons is the right choice. And we are strengthening our intention to conduct tests in order to offset the nuclear threat from the U.S.,” said Nam.
RIA also quoted him as telling the same event that Trump had “thousands” of nuclear weapons at his disposal and that the U.S. leader was playing “nuclear football.”
The comments come amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea's continued nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
Just last week, North Korea's Foreign Minister, Ri Yong Ho, threatened the United States with “a hail of fire” and said Trump has "lit the wick of war" with his country.
This was not the first time that Ri has verbally attacked Trump. Following Trump's recent speech at the UN, in which he criticized North Korea, the North Korean foreign minister said Trump made an "irreversible mistake" and threatened the "entire U.S. mainland" with missiles.
Trump later fired back at the minister, tweeting, “Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!”
Earlier this week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that he would continue his diplomatic efforts vis-a-vis North Korea “until the first bomb drops.”
North Korea later made clear that it will never negotiate the dismantling of its nuclear weapons unless the United States reverses its "hostile" policy.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)