N Korea to Boost 'Multi-Step' Nuclear Forces Against US Policy

Pyongyang will further strengthen its nuclear strike force in response to Washington's policy which "threatens sovereignty and the right to life", the North Korean Embassy in Moscow said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – North Korea will take multi-tiered measures to step up its nuclear strike force in response to US policy, the North Korean Embassy in Russia said Friday after the latest nuclear test that drew worldwide condemnation.

"In response to the hostile US policy that threatens our sovereignty and the right to life, we will take multi-step measures to strengthen our nuclear strike forces," the embassy said.

"Current realities show that without the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea, it is impossible to expect lasting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," the embassy said defending its nuclear course.

Earlier in the day, North Korea said it had carried out the fifth nuclear test, believed to be the largest since the country started to pursue nuclear programs in violation of UN resolutions. The country announced that it was capable of mounting nuclear warheads on "strategic ballistic rockets."