What appears to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in a picture released by North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 2, 2019 (Photo: YONHAP/VNA)

It accused the US of pressuring members of the UN Security Council to condemn its recent weapons tests.

In a commentary published Thursday by the official Korean Central News Agency, a North Korea Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused the US of orchestrating this week’s meeting of the UN Security Council, which condemned North Korea's missile launch last week. The official said the UN Security Council’s unfair condemnation forces North Korea to reconsider the steps they’re taking to build trust with the US and said the US destroyed negotiations earlier this month. Some observers say North Korea's threat may be a tactic to pressure the US into making concessions. Restarting nuclear and long-range missile tests would likely derail negotiations, deepen North Korea’s international isolation, and further dim prospects of rebuilding its moribund economy.
On Tuesday, the UNSC discussed North Korea’s latest underwater-launched missile test and the European members urged Pyongyang to abandon all weapons of mass destruction and engage in “meaningful negotiations” with the US.