North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong reiterated the country’s commitment to its nuclear program on Thursday, calling it the only means to counter U.S. nuclear threats magnified by joint war games with South Korea.

He delivered a keynote speech at a high-level meeting of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals at the U.N. in New York, amid prevalent concerns that the communist state will carry out a fifth nuclear test ahead of a major party congress and in protest against recent international sanctions over its fourth test in January.

He accused South Korea, the U.S. and other countries of hampering its development efforts through sanctions and pressure, citing its 12-year compulsory education and free medical services, among others.

“Even at this time, rehearsals of a nuclear war is under way on the largest scale ever, involving some 300,000 troops and U.S. strategic nuclear assets,” Ri said.

“To remove the nuclear threats, we have tried dialogue and made efforts based on international laws, but to no avail. The only option left was to respond to nuclear weapons with nuclear weapons.” 

He once again pledged to remain undeterred by the “ignorant” sanctions drive, saying Pyongyang would seek compensation from the U.S. for “thwarting its sustainable development.”

“At the last, we will be the one who laughs, and this is the political will of comrade Kim Jong-un,” Ri added, referring to the North Korean leader.

The top diplomat arrived in New York on Wednesday chiefly for the signing of a landmark U.N. climate agreement.

His trip has set off speculation over whether he will meet with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry or other senior officials and discuss ways to defuse tension and prevent another major provocation through bilateral or multilateral talks.

But State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry was not scheduled for any meeting with Ri, repeating calls for Pyongyang to display its denuclearization commitment.

“What we want to see out of the North is a concerted effort and a willingness to commit to denuclearization on the peninsula and to stop the provocative activity which we continue to see,” Kirby said at a news conference on Wednesday. 

During his last visit in September for the U.N. General Assembly, Ri held a meeting with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. But no scheduled talks were made public, though they may encounter each other on other occasions related to the signing.

In Beijing, Kim Hong-kyun, special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs at Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, met with his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei as part of efforts to forestall another North Korean provocation and ensure a thorough implementation of the latest U.N. Security Council resolution. Wu also held consultations a day ago with Sung Kim, special representative for North Korea policy at the U.S. State Department.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)