N. Korea reaffirms determination to develop nuclear, missile capabilities

North Korea on Friday reaffirmed its determination to develop its nuclear and missile capabilities as a means to deter the US, in parallel with possible rapprochement with South Korea.

The nuclear force of North Korea is "the powerful treasured sword for defending peace" as it can decisively tackle threats from the US, Xinhua news agency cited a North Korean daily as saying.

"Concession to the imperialists and asking them for aid is a foolish act of inviting self-destruction as their nature is aggression and plunder," said the official daily of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

The article also rejected the accusation made by the US that the nuclear force of North Korea was a "threat to world peace and security".

"This is nothing but a miserable scream made by those who have a premonition of their destruction. It goes to prove that our nuclear force becomes the means meting out a horrible punishment to the aggressors," it said.

South Korea earlier this week said future talks with North Korea would focus on the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang and Seoul have embarked on an apparent rapprochement with the PyeongChang Winter Olympics over the past month.