LOC18:59
15:59 GMT
TOKYO, July 26 (KUNA) -- North Korea threatened Wednesday to stage a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the US upon Washington's miscalculation, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported.
"If enemies misunderstand our strategic status and stick to options of staging a pre-emptive nuclear attack against us, we will launch a nuclear attack on America's heart as the most relentless punishment without warning or prior notice," Pak Yong-sik, the minister of the armed forces, said in remarks carried by the North's official news agency, which was monitored in Seoul.
Pak made the remark during his speech in a meeting to mark the 64th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, slated for Thursday.
The North's warning came amid speculation that North Korea may be preparing to carry out another missile test launch around the anniversary.
Transporter vehicles carrying equipment for the firing of a ballistic missile were seen arriving in the country's northwestern province, CNN reported Wednesday, citing an unnamed US defense official.
The armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, leaving South and North Korea technically in a state of war.
The North has designated the date as Victory Day to celebrate what it claims is its victory against the US during the war.
North Korea has been advancing its nuclear and missile programs with the goal of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the US mainland.
The UN Security Council is working on a new sanctions resolution over the North's latest missile test on July 4. Pyongyang has threatened to take "corresponding measures" if the Security Council slaps new punitive actions against it. (end)
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