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Sanctions a 'declaration of war'
11/10/2006 11:05 - (SA)
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| South Korean environmentalists stage a protest in Seoul, denouncing North Korea's nuclear test. (Ahn Young-joon, AP) |
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Seoul - A North Korean official said on Wednesday that any full-scale sanctions imposed to punish Pyongyang for its nuclear test would be a "declaration of war," according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
"If any full-scale sanctions are imposed, we will regard them as a declaration of war," the unidentified official in Beijing told Yonhap.
He said such full-scale sanctions would include a sea blockade, Yonhap reported.
"The harder the pressure will be, the stronger will be the level of our response," the official was quoted as saying.
Second test
Japanese media reports on Wednesday of seismic activity in North Korea pointing to another nuclear explosion briefly sparked fears of such a test. Officials later said the activity may have been related to an earthquake.
"I have no knowledge about that. However, there is no reason for us to hide an additional nuclear test," the North Korean official said.
He also said a second test would require "political and diplomatic judgement".
North Korea for years has described sanctions as tantamount to a declaration of war.
UN to discuss punitive action
The UN security council was on Wednesday to discuss hitting North Korea with tough punitive actions for its nuclear test, as Pyongyang's closest ally China said it was ready to support some sanctions.
Japan and the United States both proposed strong measures to the council's key members after Pyongyang's announcement on Monday of its first nuclear test.
The United States is pushing for interdiction of suspicious ship-borne cargoes.
- AFP
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