North Korea on Friday accused the United States and South Korea of preparing for a nuclear war against it.

 

The United States and South Korea "are totally revising and supplementing their scenarios for a war against North Korea," the official Korean Central News Agency said on Friday, quoting a statement released by the Korean National Peace Committee.

 

North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9, sparking a harsh reaction from the international community and sanctions from the UN Security Council.

 

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to provide a nuclear umbrella for South Korea after the test, and has been trying to press South Korea to support the sanctions.

 

"Such madcap nuclear war moves against North Korea are an extremely reckless provocation," the statement said, warning that the two countries were driving the situation to the worst phase.

 

North Korea said such action proved that the United States "has no intention to solve the nuclear issue on the peninsula."

 

South Korea on Thursday joined the US-led sanctions against its neighbor by preventing the entry of any North Korean personnel suspected of having links to the country's nuclear and other weapons programs.

 

North Korea warned Seoul on Wednesday not to follow the United States in imposing sanctions against it.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2006)