North Korea Won't Rule Out New Nuclear Test

North Korea says it "will not rule out" a new nuclear test following its recent mid-range missile launch which triggered widespread international condemnation.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry announced via the state-run KCNA news agency on March 30 that any test would be "aimed at strengthening our nuclear deterrence."

On March 28, South Korean President Park Geun-hye proposed a broad range of economic aid for impoverished North Korea if it agreed to give up its nuclear program.

Tensions over North Korea have risen after Pyongyang test-fired two medium-range ballistic missiles on March 26 in response to U.S. President Barack Obama's hosting of a landmark Japan-South Korea summit in The Hague.

The UN Security Council has condemned the latest ballistic missile launch as a violation of resolutions.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters