North Korea Threatens South With 'Final Destruction'

North Korean soldiers attend a rally celebrating the country's third nuclear test on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on February 14.

North Korea has threatened South Korea with "final destruction" during a debate at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.

North Korea's envoy to the conference, Jon Yong Ryong, said on February 19 that "a newborn puppy knows no fear of a tiger," adding that Pyongyang could take unspecified further steps after a nuclear test last week if South Korea and its allies continued pushing for more sanctions against the North.

Jon's comments drew quick criticism from other states, with diplomats denouncing the comments as an inadmissible threat against a UN member state.

North Korea's nuclear test last week was its third and most powerful.

Pyongyang says it carried out the test to boost its defenses given the hostility of the United States.

Washington has pushed for more sanctions to punish Pyongyang for defying UN resolutions.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP