Seoul: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged North Korea to avoid any actions that might escalate military tensions as South Korea`s president spoke again of a "reign of terror" in the North`s capital, Pyongyang.
Speaking at an Asian Leadership Conference in South Korea`s capital, Seoul, Ban said the divided Korean peninsula remained one of the world`s most dangerous flashpoints.
"If the DPRK`s activities continue, we could see more arms competition and rising tension throughout this region," Ban said, using the official acronym for North Korea.
His remarks came barely a week after the North said it had successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), defying a United Nations ban on the country testing ballistic missile technology.
A fully-developed SLBM capability would take the North Korean nuclear threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and the potential to retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.
"I encourage the DPRK to take steps necessary to prevent escalation and to enable a return to multilateral negotiations and engagement, including by complying with all relevant Security Council resolutions," Ban said.
In his address to the conference, Ban also highlighted the need to separate humanitarian policies from political issues, with specific reference to the plight of malnourished children in North Korea.
The UN office in North Korea has identified urgent humanitarian needs, he said, adding that the number of children suffering from stunting was "alarmingly high."
"Lives are at stake," he said. "Without aid, children will have lasting damage."
Speaking to the same conference minutes before Ban, South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said North Korean belligerence was threatening stability across the Asian region.
"North Korea has been raising military tensions recently by conducting an SLBM test and has shocked the international community with its reign of terror that purged even the most senior officials," Park said.
South Korea`s intelligence agency reported last week that North Korea`s defence minister, Hyon Yong-Chol, had been purged and most likely executed for insubordination and dozing off during a formal military rally.
The agency said it had unverified reports that the execution had been carried out at close range with a high-calibre anti-aircraft gun.
A previous agency report said Kim had ordered the execution of 15 other senior officials so far this year.
Park made similar remarks last week about a mood of terror in Pyongyang, prompting an angry response, with the North`s official KCNA news agency calling her a "viper" seeking to escalate tensions with reckless remarks.
"Provocation and confrontation will gain nothing," Park told the Seoul conference, urging other Asian leaders to step up efforts to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.
