The president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, today threatened more sanctions and pressure on North Korea if the country holds its fifth nuclear test in the coming days as forecast Seoul.
The head of state announced its intention without specifying what kind of new punishments apply the regime of Kim Jong-un, which already imposes a strong economic blockade.
Park said Pyongyang "has completed its preparations for a fifth nuclear test and is at a point where they can carry out" the test at any time, thus reiterating the same warning issued by the South Korean government on several occasions the last days .
The Defense Ministry Seoul believes the nuclear test, which would be the fifth after those in 2006, 2009, 2013 and January 2016 could take place before the North Korean Workers' Party holds its congress planned VII early or mid-May.
Defence bases its prediction that it has detected an unusual increase in activity at the base of Punggye-ri in North Korea's east end.
South Korea's president, meanwhile, also insisted today that the development of nuclear weapons only cause the collapse of North Korea and urged the neighboring country to change strategy.
So far North Korea has continued vindicating the development of nuclear weapons as the basis of its strategy of defense against a hypothetical US attack