North Korea warns U.S. against sanctions over nuclear program

UNITED NATIONS, September 29 (RIA Novosti) - North Korea will increase its nuclear deterrence forces if the U.S. threatens it with new sanctions, the country's deputy foreign minister told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

"North Korea's position is to react to dialogue with a dialogue and to respond to sanctions by boosting nuclear deterrence. If the U.S. approaches the dialog from the position of sanctions, we would also take part in the dialog with boosted nuclear deterrence forces," Pak Kil Yon said.

He added that in order to "denuclearize the Korean Peninsula" the U.S. must "discard the old concept of confrontation and show the 'change' in practice."

Pak added that his country would "act in a responsible manner in management, use and non-proliferation" of nuclear weapons.

"The task of our weapons is to deter a war. We will only possess the nuclear deterrent to an extent, which is necessary to deter any military attack or a threat of such an attack to our country," he said.

North Korea quit international talks and announced the restart of its nuclear program after the UN Security Council condemned its April 5 long-range missile launch. The Security Council imposed tougher sanctions on the North after it conducted its second nuclear test in May.

Speaking to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly last Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak urged the North to abandon its nuclear program. He also reiterated that the South would offer economic and political incentives for the North to scrap the program.