WASHINGTON — The White House says North Korea’s announced plan to conduct a nuclear test is “needlessly provocative” and will only increase Pyongyang’s isolation.
Spokesman Jay Carney said that a test would be a significant violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
He told reporters: “We judge North Korea by its actions, and provocations like these are significant violations and we act accordingly.”
North Korea also made clear for the first time Thursday that its long-range rockets are designed not only to launch satellites but to carry warheads aimed at striking the U.S. Its statement came two days after the Security Council condemned a December satellite launch.
The council further tightened sanctions to impede the North’s weapons programs, and Carney said the U.S. would be taking, additional steps he did not specify.