Sonu Sood

In a statement, Jo Yong-sam, director general of the Foreign Ministry's press and information department, also criticized Pelosi for talking about "strong and expanded deterrent" against threats from North Korea during her trip to South Korea earlier this week, reports Yonhap News Agency. She made a two-day visit here from Wednesday following a trip to Taiwan. She had talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and a phone call with President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Construction work on an underground testing facility in the north of the country has been observed in recent months, said a confidential UN report, parts of which were made available to dpa news agency. "Work at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site paves the way for additional nuclear tests for the development of nuclear weapons."

The speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night despite fierce protests from China, becoming the highest-level official to make a formal trip there in decades. In a statement, she said her move "honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy".

The biennial Pacific Dragon exercise is scheduled to take place from Monday through August 14, according to the sources. In addition to the three countries, Australia and Canada will join the exercise in 2022's edition, Yonhap news agency reported.

Kim Jong-un issued the strongly worded, direct warning against the South's conservative administration, coupled with criticism of the US, in his speech on Wednesday marking the 69th anniversary of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, reports Yonhap News Agency.

ohn Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, also noted the North may continue to be ready to conduct a test, a National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson said on Tuesday. "We have been very clear that North Korea could be ready to conduct a nuclear test. That is something we said very, very openly," Kirby said in a press briefing, held virtually.

Yoon was responding to a reporter's question about the US Department of Defence's assessment that the North has completed preparations to carry out a nuclear test as early as within the month, Yonhap news agency reported. "We believe that not only at the end of this month, but ever since my inauguration, it's fully ready and able to do it whenever it decides," he told reporters as he arrived for work.

CS Eliot Kang, assistant secretary at the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, met those officials Thursday (Washington time), the bureau tweeted, warning of the risks, including intellectual data theft, legal consequences and reputational harm.

An article carried by the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, spoke highly of the bilateral relations while commemorating the "DPRK-China Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance" signed in 1961. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Yonhap news agency reported. The article also took aim at the US and other "hostile forces", which it said regard North Korea and China as a "thorn in their eyes", claiming that they have been scheming to undermine the friendly relations and unity of the people of the two countries.

North Korea has carried out a series of short-to long-range missile tests since Yoon's inauguration in May and showed signs of preparing for what would be its seventh nuclear test, Yonhap news agency reported. Yoon has made clear any provocation will be met with a strong and united response from South Korea in close coordination with the United States while also offering to keep the door open to dialogue with Pyongyang.