N. Korea accuses US of pushing peninsula to ‘explosion’; top diplomats to meet

SEOUL/BEIJING (AFP/ Reuters) – North Korea on Wednesday accused the United States of pushing the Korean peninsula to ‘’the point of explosion’’ after it dispatched two huge bombers in a show of force against Pyongyang.

The supersonic B-1B Lancers flew over South Korea Tuesday as Washington vowed its “unshakeable commitment’’ to defend its allies in the region following North Korea’s fifth and largest-ever nuclear test conducted last week.

Washington called the demonstration “just one example of the full range of military capabilities’’. It took similar military actions following previous atomic tests.

North Korea labeled the flyover by the “infamous’’ nuclear bombers as Washington’s attempt to seek ‘’an opportunity of mounting a preemptive nuclear attack,’’ referring to us plans to deploy further strategic assets to the peninsula.

“These extremely reckless provocations of the US imperialist warmongers are pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion hour by hour,’’ the state-run KCNA news agency said.

It warned that the North Korean army was fully armed with “all means for military counteraction’’ to strike back at any enemy attack in “a single blow’’.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in New York on Sunday to discuss responses to North Korea’s latest nuclear test, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The three countries are pushing for tough new UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea after the isolated country on Friday conducted its fifth and largest nuclear test.

The blast was in defiance of UN sanctions that were tightened in March.

China, the north’s chief ally, backed the March resolution but is more resistant to harsh new sanctions this time after the United States and South Korea decided to deploy a sophisticated antimissile system in the south, which China adamantly opposes.

South Korea said Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his counterparts Kerry and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet during the annual U.N. General Assembly to discuss putting further pressure on North Korea.

Beijing’s official People’s Daily newspaper on Wednesday called the United States a troublemaker and said it has no right to lecture China about taking responsibility for reining in North Korea as tensions on the peninsula are a direct result of U.S. actions.