North Korea's nuclear test warning 'needlessly provocative', says US

Washington: The United States today condemned North Korea's threat that it plans to carry out a third nuclear test and more rocket launches as "needlessly provocative".

"North Korea's statement is needlessly provocative," said White House spokesman Jay Carney, who said a nuclear test would be a significant violation of UN sanctions and would further isolate Pyongyang.

The statement by North Korea's National Defense Commission did not say when the test would be held.

"We do not hide that the various satellites and long-range rockets we will continue to launch, as well as the high-level nuclear test we will proceed with, are aimed at our arch-enemy the United States," the commission said.

"Settling accounts with the US needs to be done with force, not with words," it added in the statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.