A DPRK diplomat complained on Thursday that the US and ROK should be responsible for the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and said that the DPRK will continue to conduct nuclear tests in the face of increasing threats from the two countries.

“The joint military drills by the US and ROK are the cause of the deteriorating situation on the Korean Peninsula, and the place is on the edge of nuclear war,” said Pak Myong Ho, charge d’affaires of the DPRK embassy at a press conference in Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed the need for a "double suspension" during the Two Sessions to defuse the looming crisis on Korean Peninsula - calling for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities, and for the US and ROK to cease conducting war games. 

In 2015, the DPRK offered to suspend its nuclear tests if the US cancelled its military drills with South Korea. However, as Pak recalled, “the US rejected the proposal immediately.... The US did not respond to the suggestion and instead they are now conducting massive military exercises.

"Military exercises can turn into a real war and the US keeps provoking the DPRK, they're pushing us to our limits,” he added.

The DPRK has routinely criticized the exercises, seeing them as a provocative rehearsal for an invasion. Last week, Pyongyang fired four ballistic missiles in retaliation to the latest round of war games.

The official stressed that the purpose of the nuclear tests is to strengthen the country’s nuclear capacity, in a bid to counter the threat from the US and its allies. “The past records showed that our determination on the tests is steady and correct,” the official added.

Pak went on to say that the prerequisite for solving the current problem on the Korean Peninsula is that the US changes its policy towards the DPRK.

Speaking of the recent “incident” in Malaysia, a reference to the death of Kim Jong Nam in Kuala Lumpar airport, Pak described it as "clearly a political scheme by the US and ROK aimed at hurting the DPRK's reputation and overthrowing the DPRK.

"The only parties that will benefit from this incident are the enemy countries."

Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, was murdered last month at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Malaysian police say that two women smeared the highly toxic VX nerve agent on his face.

Kim Jong Nam's family has left it to the Malaysian government to decide what to do with his remains. Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Wednesday that Kim's identity has been finally confirmed, using a DNA sample taken from his son. 

The International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, has issued a red notice for four suspects from the DPRK, who showed up at the airport when Kim Jong Nam was killed on February 13.

Speaking to the journalists, the diplomat also condemned the UN Security Council's sanctions on Pyongyang's nuclear tests and satellite launch, claiming they represent double standards by the organization. 

"The UN Security Council resolution claimed that the DPRK's nuclear tests and satellite launches threatened international peace and stability. However, the UN charter and relevant international laws do not have such regulations. If they did, why does the UN not view the nuclear tests and satellite launches of the United States and other countries as a threat? Why has the UN not imposed sanctions on those countries? These are double standards," Pak complained.

“The sanctions the UN Security Council imposed on the DPRK do not conform to international laws, and caused controversy in the DPRK and internationally,” said Pak, adding that the DPRK has already delivered relevant requests to the UN Secretariat to reconsider the decisions. 

“We believe the platforms of international justice should not be controversial, and final decisions should be made by relevant parties,” said the diplomat.