North Korea has threatened to conduct yet another nuclear test in response to a United Nations resolution passed on Wednesday to launch a probe into the reclusive country's human rights violations.
"We completely reject the forceful passage of this resolution, led by the United States with the aim of overthrowing (our) people-cantered socialist system," the North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Dubbing the US-led action as "hostile actions", the official said the move was compelling North Korea from undergoing additional nuclear test. "Our war deterrence will be intensified limitlessly in preparations against military intervention and armed aggression," he said as quoted by the South Korean Yonhap News Agency.
Accusing the US once again of trying to topple the Kim Jong-un regime, the North's mouthpiece newspaper said: "The reason why the US unleashed human rights attacks (on Pyongyang) is because it is trying to make a pretext for military intervention".
On Wednesday, the United Nations moved a step closer to indicting North Korean human rights abusers including its leader Kim Jong-un, when the UN human rights committee passed a resolution calling on the Security Council to refer high-ranking North Korean officials to the International Criminal court.
The non-binding recommendation, proposed by 60 countries including the EU, was passed with 111 members in favour and 19 against it with 55 abstentions. The resolution is expected to be passed by the UN General Assembly next month.
South Korean Ambassador to the UN Oh Joon hailed the recommendation as "historic" as it is thought to exert a very strong pressure on the hermit kingdom's regime, the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo notes.
On Thursday, the North Korean official said that it's military deterrence "will be beefed up limitlessly" to guard against the US.
Previous nuclear test conducted by the country in 2006, 2009 and 2013 sparked international condemnation and sanctions.
