BEIJING, Sept. 4-- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched its sixth and largest nuclear test Sunday, playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship amid universal call for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Despite opposition from around the world, Pyongyang clings to its own course to advance nuclear and missile programs, putting itself at odds with neighbors and risking a military confrontation with Washington. The fresh nuclear test violated relevant UN Security Council resolutions and norms of international law, undermining the non-proliferation campaign and threatening peace and security in the region and beyond. The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, as China reiterated, is in essence a security issue. Washington's belligerent tone and military exercises on DPRK's doorstep ate into Pyongyang's sense of security. Even South Korea, a U.S. ally, has dismissed the military call. "Korea is a country that experienced a fratricidal war ... The destruction of war should not be repeated in this land," the office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Sunday night. If things get out of control, China and South Korea, Pyongyang's two neighbors, will be the ones to suffer most, not America that is tens of thousands of miles away. Most importantly, DPRK should wake up to the fact that such a brinkmanship tactic can never bring security it pursues. It is imperative for Pyongyang to restore to reason and refrain from any actions that further fuel the tensions. |