North Korea Ready to Halt Nuclear Tests If US Stops Drills With South Korea

North Korea reportedly said it would halt nuclear tests if the United States stops military exercises with South Korea.

North Korean foreign minister said that the country would halt nuclear tests if the United States stops military manoeuvres with South Korea, Associated Press reported.

"Stop the nuclear war exercises in the Korean Peninsula, then we should also cease our nuclear tests," Ri Su Yong told the Associated Press in an interview.

Earlier, South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the North fired a ballistic missile from a submarine off the country's east coast. The US Strategic Command also reported that the US military have detected the possible missile launch from the North Korean submarine.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated after North Korea successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test in early January and put a satellite into orbit a month later, violating UN Security Council resolutions and triggering condemnation from the international community.

Ri Su Yong arrived in New York on Friday for an official UN ceremony that saw over 160 countries sign up to last year’s climate change deal.

Speaking at the UN sustainable development forum in New York, Ri Su Yong again said that, the North’s nuclear tests were "aimed at defending itself from the nuclear threat by the U.S.," and warned Washington against exerting military and economic pressure on the nation.