North Korea says it wants a peaceful resolution to its nuclear stand-off with the United States, but has again warned it would retaliate against any attack.
A Foreign Ministry official today spoke of his country's frustration with Washington for refusing direct negotiations and appealed to Britain to use its close relationship with the US to set up face-to-face talks leading to a non-aggression treaty.
Pyongyang stressed it had no intention of producing nuclear weapons despite its withdrawal from a key global nuclear treaty and moving to re-start a reactor capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.
"Our army and the people will retaliate if the US infringes even one inch on the territory, the water or the air of our country," senior foreign ministry official Mr Ri Hui-chol said.