South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Thursday expressed worry about possible provocations from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) amid signs that Pyongyang may have completed preparations for another nuclear test and ballistic missile launch.
Park said during a meeting with senior presidential secretaries that the DPRK will no longer come to a dialogue table for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula to deepen nuclear and missile provocations further.
She said one of the worst case scenarios is becoming real to enable Pyongyang to conduct any type of provocations at will based on its advanced nuclear and missile capabilities.
Her comments followed the DPRK's announcement on Sept. 9 that it carried out a successful explosion test of nuclear warhead that can be mounted on ballistic rockets.
Pyongyang said on Tuesday that it conducted a successful engine test on the ground of a carrier rocket for geo-stationary satellite, which Seoul sees as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
South Korean government sources were quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying the DPRK covered entrances to two tunnels with camouflage nets at its main Punggye-ri nuclear test site, an indication of preparing for another nuclear detonation.
The DPRK is expected here to conduct another nuclear test at any time or launch a new ballistic rocket at or around the 71st anniversary on Oct. 10 of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).
Describing the DPRK's nuclear and missile ambitions as "fanatic adherence," the South Korean president said Pyongyang can conduct unexpected provocations further as tougher sanctions are in discussion from the international community.
Park vowed to do whatever she can in order to protect people and her country from the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, saying South Korea will make best efforts to introduce fresh, strong sanctions on Pyongyang while adopting unilateral measures to pressure the DPRK.
