LATEST: North Korea brands US-led efforts to remove nuclear weapons 'a wild dream'
North Korea's deputy UN ambassador has warned that US efforts to get rid of his country's nuclear weapons through military threats and sanctions are "a wild dream".
Kim In Ryong said North Korea's nuclear weapons are never part of "political bargains and economic deals".
He said: "In a nutshell, DPRK (North Korea) have already declared not to attend any type of talks which would discuss its nuclear abandonment, nuclear disbandment."
He reiterated North Korea's longstanding contention that its nuclear programme "is the product of the United States' hostile policy towards DPRK".
He said: "That is why every solution will be possible when the United States hostile policy is withdrawn in advance.
Mr Kim "categorically rejected" Friday's UN Security Council meeting on the North Korean nuclear issue - which his country declined to attend - as "another abuse" of the council's authority, acting on instructions of the United States which is a veto-wielding member.
Mr Kim said: "As we expected, (the) US has taken issue with self-defensive nuclear deterrent of the DPRK, and not only to justify their anti-DPRK aggressive war racket but also to create atmosphere for sanctions against DPRK at any cost."
He said the United States "is wholly to blame for pushing the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war by staging the largest-ever joint aggression military drills against the DPRK for the past two months" and deploying "nuclear strategic assets" to South Korea.
While the United States once talked about nuclear disarmament, Mr Kim said it is spending a trillion dollars "in a bid to secure a nuclear edge" - and he said this issue should be addressed "before tabling the denuclearisation of the DPRK".
"The nuclear force of the DPRK just serves as a treasured sword of justice and creditable war deterrent to protect the sovereignty and dignity of the country and global peace from the US threat to ignite a nuclear war," he said.
: The US has called for new sanctions against North Korea and threatened to punish international companies doing banned business with the pariah nation's nuclear and missile programmes.
Doing nothing could be "catastrophic", senior diplomat Rex Tillerson told a special UN Security Council session he chaired.
He was speaking after Donald Trump said he would like to see a diplomatic resolution to escalating tensions with Pyongyang, but fears "we could end up having a major, major conflict".
Amid council members' warning about the potential for conflict, Mr Tillerson urged tougher action from China, North Korea's main trading partner.
China is North Korea's main source of food and fuel aid. While it wants the North to end its nuclear weapons programme, it is wary of destabilising a traditional ally it fought with in the 1950-53 Korean War.
: British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has accused North Korea of issuing "blood-curdling threats" as it threatens world peace over its nuclear weapons programme.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Mr Johnson called on China and Russia to use their influence with Pyongyang to "restrain" the regime.
He said: "There could hardly be a clearer threat to world peace more demanding of a unified response than the activities of one member of the United Nations, North Korea breaking its treaty obligations, ignoring the will of this council, and making blood-curdling threats to inflict grievous harm on peoples of other countries.
"We urge other partners with direct influence on North Korea to use their leverage to the full with the aim of easing tensions and ensuring compliance with the express will of the UN.
"There is a vital role for China and Russia, both of whom are neighbours of North Korea with influence on Pyongyang, and as permanent members of this council, a special responsibility they have for preserving international peace and security.
"The UK calls on Russia and China, and other member states, to use whatever influence they possess to restrain North Korea and guide its leaders towards a peaceful settlement.
"Britain stands alongside our allies in making clear that North Korea must obey the UN and halt its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes - disarming in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner."
Mr Johnson said that many countries were not implementing already agreed sanctions against Pyongyang.
"The United Kingdom believes it is vital for this council to stand ready to take further significant measures to bring about a peaceful resolution.
"And sooner or later the North Korean regime must realise that their isolation not only holds back their own people, if the regime really cares about their own people, but also weakens their own grip on power," the Foreign Secretary said.
The UN discussion is happening as the White House has declared that all options, including a targeted military strike, are on the table to prevent North Korea from carrying out threats against the United States and its allies in the region.
US President Donald Trump has said he wants to see a diplomatic resolution to the crisis but fears "we could end up having a major, major conflict".
The US president was speaking after secretary of state Rex Tillerson said China had threatened to impose sanctions on North Korea if it conducts further nuclear tests.
"We know that China is in communications with the regime in Pyongyang," Mr Tillerson said. "They confirmed to us that they had requested the regime conduct no further nuclear test."
Mr Tillerson said Beijing also told the US that it had informed North Korea "that if they did conduct further nuclear tests, China would be taking sanctions actions on their own".
China's foreign minister said the situation on the Korean peninsula "is under great tension and at a critical point".
Wang Yi said the international community must stay committed to parallel progress on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and upholding peace and stability.
He told reporters ahead of a UN Security Council ministerial meeting on North Korea that "what is crucial today is to resume the talks", even if few players are involved initially.
The ultimate goal, he added, would be to resume multilateral discussions known as the six-party talks.
He also reiterated China's proposal that North Korea halt nuclear and missile tests in exchange for the US and South Korea stopping military exercises.
He called it "sensible and reasonable" and said the proposal was gaining support from many countries.
The Trump administration has declared that all options, including a targeted military strike, are on the table to block North Korea from carrying out threats against the US and its allies in the region.
But a pre-emptive attack is not likely, US officials have said, and the administration is pursuing a strategy of putting pressure on Pyongyang with assistance from China, North Korea's main trading partner and the country's economic lifeline.
With international support, the Trump administration said on Thursday it wanted to exert a "burst" of economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea that yields results within months to push the communist government to change course from developing nuclear weapons.
