The United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday warned North Korea of "further measures" if it tests another atom bomb but said Washington had no plans to invade the communist state.
In interviews with Japanese media, Rice warned of a tightening of sanctions imposed under a UN Security Council resolution if Pyongyang explodes another atom bomb.
"We already have a very powerful resolution. I'm quite certain there will be additional measures of some kind" if there is a second test, Rice told public broadcaster NHK.
In a separate interview with a group of Japanese journalists, Rice said, "If the North does test, then we have to consider further measures."
North Korea tested its first atom bomb on October 9, saying it needed to build a deterrent in the face of US hostility.
But Rice stressed that the US favoured diplomacy.
"We've also been clear that we are not going to invade or attack North Korea," she said in the group interview, as quoted by Kyodo News.
Rice was on the first stop of a four-nation tour of North Korea's neighbours to seek swift enforcement of last week's UN Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in response to its nuclear test.
{{/usCountry}}Rice was on the first stop of a four-nation tour of North Korea's neighbours to seek swift enforcement of last week's UN Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in response to its nuclear test.
{{/usCountry}}Rice, who headed today to Seoul, has promised that the United States is ready to defend its allies Japan and South Korea against any threat from their communist neighbour.
"We consider an attack on Japan or threat to attack Japan as a direct threat to the United States itself," Rice said in the group interview.