North Korea ready to hold nuclear test at any time, claims Seoul

ANKARA

The South Korean defense chief on Thursday claimed that North Korea has already completed its preparations and could hold a nuclear test any time, local media reported.

Briefing the Defense Committee of the National Assembly, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said Seoul is also bolstering its deterrence to Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and missile threats.

“(North Korea) has already completed preparations for what would be its seventh nuclear test, and is capable of carrying out a nuclear test at any time,” the Yonhap News Agency quoted Lee as saying.

Lee also briefed lawmakers on North Korea’s recent unveiling of the Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear warhead and the test of an underwater nuclear attack drone.

Last month, North Korea claimed that its military tested a new underwater nuclear weapon capable of creating a super-scale radioactive tsunami and said the drone could be operated from any coast or port.

Lee told the lawmakers that South Korea along with the US will respond to North Korea in case of a nuclear test, but did not explain his government’s strategy on the joint response.

Lee said that his military is monitoring the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site for an expected nuclear test.

He also confirmed that trilateral talks between senior defense officials of South Korea, the US, and Japan will be held later this month.

The meeting is expected to discuss measures to counter evolving nuclear and missile threats, according to the agency.

US, South Korean nuclear envoys meet

Meanwhile, chief nuclear envoys of the US and South Korea met on Thursday in Seoul and discussed the latest security situation on the Korean Peninsula.

During the meeting, South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, and his US counterpart, Sung Kim, agreed to continue their efforts to dissuade the North from developing nuclear weapons, Yonhap News reported, citing a Foreign Ministry statement.

"The two sides agreed to respond sternly to any provocations from Pyongyang under a robust South Korea-US combined defense posture while keeping a close eye on the possibility of the North's further provocations," the ministry said.

South Korea asks North to stop use of industrial park

South Korea on Thursday called on Pyongyang to stop the unauthorized use of a joint industrial complex in the North's border city of Kaesong and warned of actions if it does not respond to its call.

The Unification Ministry accused Pyongyang of using the facility despite its 2016 shutdown in response to North Korean nuclear and long-range missile tests.

“The North's operation of factories in the complex without authorization constitutes a clear violation of South Korean businessmen's right to property and a related inter-Korean agreement,” the agency quoted an unnamed official as telling reporters on condition of anonymity.

The ministry's reaction came after North Korean media published photos on Wednesday showing buses still running in the industrial park, which Seoul presumed are buses provided by South Korea for workers’ transportation.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid