US warns North Korea will be "utterly destroyed" in war
What's the story
North Korea's leadership would be "utterly destroyed" in the event of a war, US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley warned at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Haley also urged "all nations" to cut diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea. Her statement comes after the North tested fired its highest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile which reached an altitude of nearly 4,500km.
29 Nov 2017
North Korea launches highest-ever missile that reached 4,500km altitude
On November 29, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which reached an altitude of 4,500km and flew 960km. The missile, the North's highest-ever ICBM test, landed in Japanese waters. US President Donald Trump responded by saying, "We will take care of it." This is the latest in a series of Pyongyang's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons tests, leading to simmering regional tensions.
Statement
What Haley said
Haley said the US has "never sought war with North Korea, and still today we do not seek it." "If war does come, it will be because of continued acts of aggression like we witnessed yesterday," she said. She said that in the event of war, "make no mistake, the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed."
Chinese pressure
US urges China to cut off oil supplies to North-Korea
Haley said US President Donald Trump has urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to cut off oil supplies to North Korea. "We need China to do more," she said. "We know the main driver of its nuclear production is oil," she said. "The major supplier of that oil is China." China has so far abstained from taking such a drastic step.
Response
China says it seeks denuclearization of Korean peninsula
The White House earlier said Trump had urged Xi to "use all available levers to convince North Korea to end its provocations and return to the path of denuclearization." China's state news agency Xinhua reported that Xi responded to Trump saying his country's "unswerving goal is to maintain peace and stability in north-east Asia and denuclearise the Korean peninsula."