Skip to main content
Tuesday, November 10, 2026Nov 10
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Official: North Korea ‘will go to war’ if US provokes

Han Song Ryol, North Korea's vice minister of foreign affairs speaks during an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, April 14, 2017, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Han Song Ryol, North Korea's vice minister of foreign affairs speaks during an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, April 14, 2017, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) Han Song Ryol, North Korea's vice minister of foreign affairs speaks during an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, April 14, 2017, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

By Associated Press 2 min read

North Korea’s vice foreign minister says, “We will go to war” if the U.S. chooses to provoke it.

Vice Minister Han Song Ryol spoke to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview in Pyongyang on Friday.

Han said that in the face of such actions, North Korea “will go to war if they choose.” He added North Korea will continue developing its nuclear program and conduct its next nuclear test whenever its leaders see fit.

“We certainly will not keep our arms crossed in the face of a U.S. pre-emptive strike,” he said.

Many experts believe North Korea could have a viable nuclear warhead and a ballistic missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland within the next few years.