North Korea has threatened South Korea with "final destruction," saying Pyongyang could take further steps after last week's nuclear test if Seoul and its allies continue to push for tougher U.N. sanctions against the North's nuclear program.
North Korean diplomat Jon Yong Ryong told a U.N. disarmament conference in Geneva that South Korea's "erratic behavior would only herald its final destruction." He added that "as the saying goes, a new-born puppy knows no fear of a tiger."
Jon's comments drew quick criticism from other nations, including South Korea, the United States, and Britain.
U.S. Ambassador Laura Kennedy called North Korea's threat profoundly disturbing and said the remarks would be "offensive and unacceptable" in any setting, especially a conference on disarmament.
Since Pyongyang tested a nuclear bomb last week in defiance of U.N. resolutions, Seoul has warned it could strike its northern neighbor if it believed an attack was imminent.
The test was North Korea's most powerful.