North Korea has said it will suspend its nuclear tests if the US stops its annual military exercises with South Korea.
Foreign minister Ri Su-yong also told the Associated Press news agency that his country would not be cowed by international sanctions.
A US official has defended the drills as a sign of commitment to South Korea.
Meanwhile, Pyongyang said Saturday’s submarine-launched ballistic missile test was a “great success”.
“It fully confirmed and reinforced the reliability of the Korean-style underwater launching system and perfectly met all technical requirements for carrying out… underwater attack operation,” the North Korean news agency KCNA said.
It added that the test gave the country “one more means for powerful nuclear attack”.
North Korea is banned from nuclear tests and activities that use ballistic missile technology under UN sanctions dating back to 2006.
Earlier, Ri Su-yong defended his country’s right to have a nuclear deterrent and said the US drove North Korea to develop such weapons as an act of self-defence.
He suggested that the suspension of the military drills could open the door to talks and reduced tensions, reports the BBC.
“If we continue on this path of confrontation, this will lead to very catastrophic results, not only for the two countries but for the whole entire world as well,” he told AP.
“Stop the nuclear war exercises in the Korean Peninsula, then we should also cease our nuclear tests.”
