International community won’t accept nuclear North Korea: Rex Tillerson

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks during the UN Security Council Ministerial Briefing on Non-Proliferation and the DPRK, at the United Nations, on December 15, 2017, in New York. (Photo by AFP)

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has claimed that the international community remains firm on not accepting a nuclear North Korea and a "sustained cessation of North Korea's threatening behavior" was needed before the United States could talk with Pyongyang about its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

"North Korea must earn its way back to the table. The pressure campaign must and will continue until denuclearization is achieved," Tillerson adressed the United Nations Security Council on Friday.

Tillerson went on to say all Security Council member states should fully implement the UN resolutions urging countries which have so far failed to comply with the resolutions to further isolate Pyongyang politically and economically to cut off funds for its nuclear and missile programs.

He also called on China and Russia to increase pressure on North Korea by going beyond the implementation of UN sanctions.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono, in similar comments, backed the sanctions against North Korea and called on member states to abide by the UN resolutions to exert further pressure on Pyongyang.

“The latest launch was conducted 75 days after North Korea’s provocations in September. Some optimistic views labeled 75 days of silence as a positive signal. However, the missile launch in November made it clear that North Korea was continuing to relentlessly develop its nuclear and missile programs even while they were seemingly silent," Kono said.

China, however, blamed the US for the tensions on the Korean peninsula and called for a peaceful settlement of the crisis.

“It is necessary to put an immediate end to rhetoric and actions that are unfavorable to denuclearization as well as peace and security of the Korean peninsula,” said Wu Haitao, China's deputy UN ambassador.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered to engage in unconditional talks with the North.

Tensions have been building on the peninsula following a series of nuclear and missile tests by Pyongyang as well as threats of war and personal insults traded between US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader.

In late November, Pyongyang successfully test-launched what American military experts called a Hwasong-15 ICBM, the largest North Korean missile tested to date with a presumably long-enough range to deliver nuclear warheads deep into the US mainland.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said that he will turn his country into the "world's strongest nuclear power."