White House warns against North Korea nuclear test

The White House on Thursday said North Korea was being “needlessly provocative” after Pyongyang threatened to conduct its third nuclear test.

"North Korea’s statement is needlessly provocative, and a test would be a significant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said.

“Further provocations would only increase Pyongyang's isolation and its continued focus on its nuclear and missile program is doing nothing to help the North Korean people,” he added.

North Korea on Thursday said it would launch more long-range rockets as well as conduct another nuclear test, in response to expanded U.N. sanctions.

A statement released by state-run media from the country’s National Defense Commission, which is led by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said “a variety of satellites and long-range rockets which will be launched by the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] one after another and a nuclear test of higher level which will be carried out by it in the upcoming all-out action” that “will target against the U.S., the sworn enemy of the Korean people,” according to McClatchy [sic].

Despite the provocative statement, Carney also said the Obama administration hadn’t seen “a noticeable change in behavior” from the North Koreans.

"We judge North Korea by its actions, and provocations like these are significant violations, and, you know, we act accordingly,” he said.

-- Amie Parnes contributed

---