Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se has warned North Korea it will pay the heaviest price in new sanctions if it pushes forward with another nuclear test.
 
Yun issued the warning when he spoke before the International Peace Institute in New York on Tuesday.
 
He said the North is ready to carry out another nuclear test and just awaits a political decision.
 
Yun said Northeast Asia’s most pending task is to stop the North from carrying out further nuclear tests and to block it from advancing its nuclear capabilities.
 
Yun said the international community must send a strong message to the North that it will not overlook Pyongyang’s acts of habitually ignoring the U.N. Charter.
 
The minister also said he is concerned conflicts surrounding history, territory and marine security in Northeast Asia could lead to military clashes due to misunderstanding among related countries.
 
Yun said a misguided nationalism is sparking efforts to revise and even deny history, adding it is prolonging tension in the region and could rattle the foundation of Northeast Asia’s economic prosperity.