North Korea pursues nuclear ambitions

In response to a UN Security Council condemnation of its missile launch, Pyongyang withdrew from six-nation talks on nuclear disarmament and expelled UN nuclear experts. The situation intensified after US and allies accused Pyongyang of launching a missile, despite Pyongyang’s assertion it was a satellite. On Sunday, the Stalinist state upped the ante, vowing to “bolster its nuclear deterrent.” Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has campaigned heavily against North Korea, emphasized that he supports bilateral US-North Korea talks while on a visit to Washington. But, he warned, “the North Koreans like to play games.”

N.Korea renews threat to “bolster nuclear deterrent”, AFP

Japan’s Abe open to US-NKorea talks, AFP