N Korean official sees sanctions as war act-Yonhap

SEOUL, Oct 11 (Reuters) A strict sanctions regime on North Korea will be tantamount to an act of war, a North Korean official stationed in Beijing told Yonhap news agency today.

''If all out sanctions are implemented, we will take it as a declaration of war,'' the official said when asked about possible UN Security Council sanctions in response to the North's reported nuclear test on Monday.

Yonhap did not identify the official.

China and Russia, which both border North Korea, met other veto-holding members of the UN Security Council yesterday to discuss a range of sanctions proposed by the United States and Japan to pressure Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme.

''The more they press us, the stronger our response will be,'' the official said.

Additional nuclear tests will be carried out depending on political and diplomatic judgements, the official said, adding he had no information about a second nuclear test.

REUTERS SAM KN1105