US Launches 'Serious' Warning To North Korea

State Department spokesman John Kirby called on the Pyongyang government to demonstrate that the U.S wants to hold table-talks to compel the North Korean authorities to abandon their destabilizing actions to develop or further develop ballistic missiles along with the nuclear program.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have increased significantly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, claimed in a message that the country was about to test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of attacking the US territory with a nuclear weapon.

"The international community is aligned against them (these North Korean programs) and determined to exert more pressure," Kirby said, adding that Washington takes these comments seriously and they certainly won't be going unnoticed.

In turn, the US defense secretary, Ashton Carter, described as a "serious threat" Pyongyang's decision, noting that Washington would not hesitate to shoot down any missile directed against the country or its allies. China and South Korea on Monday denounced the missile threat from North Korea and warned that a test could lead to further sanctions.

"If North Korea does not ignore our warning and launch an ICBM, it will face more sanctions and powerful pressure from the international community," South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sung-Geun reiterated.

North Korean authorities have questioned repeatedly the double standards of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to North Korea and have said they found it "unfair and unreasonable" to implement many sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear test, launch missiles and satellites, whereas their American counterparts and its allies continuously conduct trials of similar nature one after the other.

Tension is increasing in the Korean peninsula, where the two Koreas are still accusing each other of provocations: South Korea with its joint maneuvers with the US And North Korea with its nuclear and missile tests.