A high-ranking North Korean official has said Pyongyang will continue to boost its nuclear deterrence.

According to North Korea's Korean Central News Agency(KCNA), Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol was speaking with Russia’s Ambassador to Pyongyang Alexander Matzegora.

KCNA said the two met on Sunday and Han blamed the U.S. for tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He directly criticized the U.S. for bringing more strategic assets to the region and joint military drills with South Korea, the largest ever held according to South Korean media.  

The report said Han reiterated that the North, in the face of U.S. threats of a nuclear war, will continue to strengthen its nuclear deterrence to guard its autonomy, right to live and peace on the Korean Peninsula.  
 
The report claimed that the Russian ambassador agreed with the North’s stance and expressed hope that tensions on the peninsula will ease soon at the earliest possible time.