North Korean leader says country will conduct nuclear, missile tests

Seoul, South Korea- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would soon conduct a nuclear warhead test and a test launch of ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the North's official KCNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Kim said "Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability".

Kim announced the order while guiding a successful simulated test of a re-entry vehicle, which is needed to return a warhead safely back into the Earth's atmosphere from a long-range missile launch, said Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency.

North Korea continues to withstand and maintain its readiness in conducting nuclear test despite the South Korea's statement that there were no indications of performance of the North's nuclear test site or its long-rage rocket station.

To stiffen sanctions against new UN resolutions adopted this month, the North has issued belligerent statements almost daily after a nuclear test in January and the launch of a long-range rocket last month.-Reuters

Both South Korea and Japan have commended North Korea to refrain from disrupting the United Nations Security Council resolution banning Pyongyang from developing its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology.

"North Korea will lead itself to self-destruction if it does not change and continues to make excessive provocations and confrontation with the international community", said South Korean President Park Geun-Hye

"We absolutely cannot allow North Korea to continue on with its provocative attitude and not abandon its nuclear missile development," said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshide Suga.

There is no specific time to when will the North Korea conduct the said nuclear, missile test.

 In the past, North Korea has been conducting nuclear test and rocket launches every 3 to 4 consecutive years.

The North, which has conducted four nuclear tests, also claims that its January nuclear test was of a hydrogen bomb, although most experts said the blast was too small for it to have been from a full-fledged hydrogen bomb.