North Korea ends peace pact with South

(Vatican Radio) North Korea said on Friday it was cancelling a non aggression pact with its neighbour South Korea. The moves comes after the U.N. Security Council responded swiftly to North Korea's latest nuclear test by punishing the regime on Thursday with tough, new sanctions.

Earlier Pyongyang had threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States.

Speaking to Lydia O’Kane about North Korea’s nuclear capacity, Susi Snyder, Nuclear Disarmament Programme Manager at IKV Pax Christi says, “In terms of the actual reach and the capacity North Korea has, well their capacity to reach South Korea is there with missile technology but not much further and everything experts have been able to assess is they (North Korea) cannot yet mount a nuclear weapon on their missile technology”

The new sanctions came in response to North Korea’s underground nuclear test on Feb. 12. They are aimed at reining in Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development by requiring all countries to freeze financial transactions or services that could contribute to the programs.

The resolution also targets North Korea's ruling elite by banning all nations from exporting expensive jewellery, yachts, luxury automobiles and race cars to the North.

Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Susi Snyder