North Korea passes law on preventive nuclear strikes, France says ‘threat to peace’
France on Friday condemned the adoption by North Korea of a law declaring its readiness to launch preventive nuclear strikes as a "threat to international and regional peace and security".
The foreign ministry statement came after North Korean state media reported earlier Friday that Pyongyang had passed a law allowing for preventive strikes -- including in the face of conventional attacks.
"This new escalation on the part of the North Korean authorities represents a threat to international and regional peace and security," said a ministry spokeswoman.
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France "notes with great concern the increasingly aggressive declarations from North Korea", she added.
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The move by Pyongyang effectively eliminates the possibility of denuclearisation talks, leader Kim Jong Un having said that the country's status as a nuclear state is now "irreversible".
The announcement comes at a time of heightened tension between North and South.
Pyongyang has blamed Seoul for the outbreak of Covid-19 in its territory and conducted a record number of weapons tests this year.
