In a controversial move, North Korea has blamed America's "nuclear blackmail" for soaring tensions over its weapons programme.
The claim was made during rare meetings with senior UN official Jeffrey Feltman, who has just been in Pyongyang on a five‑day visit.
His trip the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 saw him meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong‑Ho and vice foreign minister, as well as medical facilities supported by the UN.
The report did not mention any meetings with leader Kim Jong‑un, who has ramped up his impoverished nation's missile and nuclear program in recent years in order to achieve Pyongyang's stated goal of developing a warhead capable of hitting the US mainland.
Feltman, the UN's under secretary‑general for political affairs, visited the country just after the United States and South Korea launched their biggest‑ever joint air exercise.
Source: NZ Herald
