North Korea's foreign minister has said that his country is ready to halt its nuclear tests if the United States suspends its annual military exercises with South Korea, The Associated Press reported Sunday.
In an exclusive interview with AP, his first interview with a Western news organization, Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong defended North Korea's right to maintain a nuclear deterrent.
The foreign minister's comments came just hours after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un hailed a submarine-launched ballistic missile test as an "eye-opening success", state media said Sunday, declaring Pyongyang has the ability to strike Seoul and the US whenever it pleases.