Sanctions mean war: North Korea warns UN

‘‘Sanctions mean a war and war does not know any mercy,’’ Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said.

‘‘If the US applies more sanctions to the DPRK (North Korea) by putting the UN in motion, the DPRK will promptly and resolutely react to it with self-defensive war deterrent force.’’ The agency said the US would ‘‘be wholly responsible for all ensuing fatal consequences’’ if war breaks out.

North Korea failed to show up at a fourth round of six-party talks scheduled to open in September in Beijing, saying it was staying away because of the ‘‘hostile’’ US policy towards Pyongyang and reports of secret nuclear experiments in South Korea.

Meanwhile, a Japanese newspaper, citing government sources, reported on Monday that activity around North Korea’s missile launch sites is tailing off. The Yomiuri Shimbun said the Defence Ministry had called back a ship equipped with Aegis radar tracking equipment that was sent when satellite monitoring picked up increased activity around missile and other military bases in North Korea last month.

North Korea, believed to have missiles capable of striking almost anywhere in Asia and parts of the US. It is also believed to have several nuclear warheads.

Japan has decided to move forward to the development stage on a next-generation missile defence system it has been working on with the United States, Kyodo news agency said on Monday.

The decision, which Kyodo said was made under pressure from Washington, is bound to face domestic opposition because it will involve a review of Japan’s ban on weapons exports. —PTI