North Korea is threatening to conduct a fresh nuclear test in response to a U.N. committee’s condemnation of Pyongyang’s alleged human rights abuses.
In a statement Thursday, the North’s foreign ministry said Pyongyang will be “unable to refrain any longer” from conducting a fourth nuclear test after the U.N. General Assembly’s Third Committee passed a resolution on the Communist state’s rights situation.
The resolution recommends the Security Council refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. It was based on a U.N. Commission of Inquiry that found Pyongyang was committing abuses on a scale “unparalleled” in the modern world.
In its statement, North Korea said the resolution was “filled with vicious slanders and calumnies” and said its passage represents a “grave political provocation.” It accused the United States of leading efforts to humiliate Pyongyang and overthrow its leadership.
North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests in recent years, the latest of which was in February 2013. There are signs that it may be preparing to back up its threats to conduct a fourth test.
In a report Wednesday, the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said the North appears to be restarting a facility for processing weapons-grade plutonium. The report relied on satellite photos that show steam coming from the Yongbyon plant.
In addition to the nuclear test, the North said its “military deterrence will be beefed up limitlessly to guard against U.S. military intervention.” The North has repeatedly made such threats in recent years, ostensibly because it is concerned about a U.S. invasion.
The foreign ministry’s comments were similar to those made earlier this week by a North Korean envoy, who also threatened a nuclear test if the U.N. approved the resolution.
