S. Africa warns against escalation of tension in North-East Asia

South Africa on Thursday reiterated its call on the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) to refrain from any actions that could further escalate tensions in North-East Asia.

"South Africa also urges the DPRK to fulfill its commitments under the Six-Party Talks, to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, to return to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to adhere to its IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards agreement, with a view to achieving the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful manner," said Nelson Kgwete, spokesperson of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

This came after the DPRK announced on Tuesday that it had successfully test a hydrogen bomb in defiance of the international community.

The South African government unequivocally condemns the fourth nuclear weapons test conducted by the DPRK, Nelson said.

"This test constitutes a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions calling on the DPRK not to conduct any further tests," he said.

Nuclear weapons tests, Nelson said, constitute a grave threat to international peace and security and undermine the global norm established by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty against nuclear test explosions. Enditem