N. Korea warns against nuclear summit

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- North Korea issued a stern warning against South Korea hosting next month's Nuclear Security Summit, calling it a provocation.

The North Korean Central News Agency quoted three committees on peace as saying in a joint statement the summit set for March 26 in Seoul would be an "intolerable, grave provocation," Yonhap news agency reported.

Leaders of about 50 countries, including U.S. President Barack Obama, are expected at the summit, designed to strengthen international safeguards and help prevent nuclear terrorism, Yonhap reported. The first summit was held in 2010 in Washington.

"We will never overlook such [a] nuclear confab doing harm to the dignified [North Korea]," the North Korean peace committees said, vowing to "decisively smash" the anti-North "nuclear racket by disturbers and wreckers of peace."

Yonhap, quoting South Korean officials, said security for the summit would include about 40,000 police officers and an undisclosed number of troops.

The report said the North Korean warning came a day after KCNA reported the country's new leader Kim Jong Un had inspected a military base believed to oversee missile units.

The North also warned of military action against this week's live-fire drills by South Korea but there was no incident.

Separately, U.S. special envoy Glyn Davies arrived in Beijing to hold the next round of talks with North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan on Pyongyang's denuclearization and to restart the stalled six-nation talks on the issue.