Japan urges pressure on North Korea

Japan says the world must keep pressure on North Korea to rein in its nuclear and missile programs as the United States spelt out the choice for impoverished Pyongyang between belligerence and prosperity.

North Korea has pursued its weapons tests in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and sanctions and ignored all calls, including from major ally China, to stop, prompting a bellicose exchange of rhetoric between the North and the United States.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said pressure must be maintained until the North demonstrated it would give up its nuclear program.

A US envoy said US President Donald Trump's top priority is to protect the United States and its allies against the "growing threat" from North Korea and America is ready to use "the full range of capabilities" at its disposal.

A North Korean army spokesman repeated a threat of retaliation against the United States for readying a pre‑emptive strike and a war of aggression, using the drills with South Korea as an excuse to mount such an attack.

Source: News.com.au