Australia tells N Korea to invest in citizens, not arms

Australia and New Zealand stiffened their rhetoric against North Korea yesterday, after the isolated state threatened Canberra with a nuclear strike, urging it to think twice before “blindly and zealously toeing the United States line”.

In a statement, Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said North Korea should “invest in the welfare of its long-suffering citizens, rather than weapons of mass destruction”.

She said North Korea’s threats of nuclear strikes against other nations “further underlines the need for the regime to abandon its illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes”. “These present a grave threat to its neighbours and, if left unchecked, to the broader region including Australia,” added Ms Bishop.

Pyongyang’s warning came as American Vice-President Mike Pence wrapped up an Asia tour, which has included visits to South Korea, Japan and Australia, partly to reassure allies amid fears that Kim Jong-un’s regime may be readying for a sixth nuclear test.

“If Australia persists in following the US’ moves to isolate and stifle North Korea ... this will be a suicidal act,” said a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman, after Ms Bishop earlier called the hermit state a “serious threat”.

The spokesman, speaking to the North’s official Korea Central News Agency, warned Ms Bishop to “think twice about the consequences”.

Australia’s close ally New Zealand has since accused North Korea of having “evil intent”. NZ Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee told Television New Zealand yesterday that people knew little about Mr Kim’s regime but “you would assume that underneath him there is a very big machinery of people who have equally evil intent”. AGENCIES