North Korea demands peace treaty for stopping nuke tests

The isolated state has long sought a peace treaty with the United States, as well as an end to the exercises by South Korea and the United States, which has about 28,500 troops based in South Korea.

“Now the US should be accustomed to the status of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state whether it likes or not”, the statement said.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war because the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

North Korea claimed on January 6 it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, but scientists around the word expressed skepticism over the claim and said it appeared to be a regular or enhanced fission Atomic bomb.

Earlier this month, North Korea carried out an underground detonation test, the fourth of its kind.

Asked if the United States would consider a halt to joint exercises, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said it had alliance commitments to South Korea.

“We strongly hope that China, as its neighbour and the most influential country on North Korea, will fully cooperate with the global community to adopt a strong resolution”, Saiki told a joint news conference.

“We look forward to adopting a tough resolution in the shortest time”, Saiki said following his talks with his US and South Korean counterparts, Antony Blinken and Lim Sung Nam, in Tokyo, as quoted by the Kyodo news agency.

“The two sides exchanged views on potential sanctions against the North that could induce changes in its stance while getting China to join the punitive measures”, a ministry official said.

China, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is North Korea’s economic benefactor, but traditional ties have become strained as Beijing’s patience has worn thin with Pyongyang’s behaviour and unwillingness to rein in its nuclear weapons ambitions. Global disarmament talks have not taken place since 2008 and the USA says it will not agree to rejoin the negotiations until Pyongyang shows clear steps toward freezing its nuclear-arms program.