MANILA: North Korea has appealed to Southeast Asian countries for support in its row with the United States to prevent what it warned could be a “nuclear holocaust”, according to a letter obtained by AFP.

In the letter to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (Asean) secretary-general, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho warned the situation on the Korean Peninsula was “reaching the brink of war” because of Washington’s actions.

He urged the Asean chief to inform the 10-nation organisation’s foreign ministers “about the grave situation” on the peninsula “and give them a proper proposal”, while criticising at length US-South Korean military exercises.

Tensions have soared in the region in recent weeks in the wake of a series of North Korean missile tests and tough rhetoric from Washington on the isolated nation’s rogue weapons programme.

The nation’s letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP and dated March 23, ahead of the regional bloc’s summit this week in Manila, where delegates are expected to discuss the situation on the peninsula.

“I express my expectations that Asean which attaches great importance to the regional peace and stability will make an issue of the US-South Korean joint military exercises at Asean conferences from the fair position and play an active role in safeguarding the peace and safety of Korean Peninsula,” the letter said.

A draft of Asean’s end-of-summit chairman statement obtained this week by AFP had a portion on the Korean Peninsula still blank, meaning the leaders had yet to agree on what to say on the issue.

North Korea is known to have close ties with some Asean members, including Cambodia and Laos.

Pyongyang’s diplomatic ties with Malaysia were disrupted after the assassination in Kuala Lumpur in February of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

South Korea has blamed Pyongyang for the killing, accusing its agents of using a banned nerve agent.

Ri wrote in the letter that the annual US-South Korea military exercises justified Pyongyang’s decision to develop its own nuclear weapons.

“It is a fact clear to everyone that when they deploy the means of nuclear strike that can drive the Korean Peninsula into a nuclear holocaust in just seconds ... the nature of such exercises can in no way be defensive,” the letter said.

Washington has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the Korean peninsula amid signs the North could be preparing for a sixth nuclear test.

Admiral Harry Harris, who heads the US Pacific Command, said in Washington this week the US Carl Vinson strike group was in the Philippine Sea just east of Okinawa, “in striking range and power projection range of North Korea if called upon to do that.”

China on Thursday welcomed an apparently softer tone by the United States but stressed its opposition to a US missile defence system being deployed in South Korea.

China has long promoted dialogue to resolve the “Korean nuclear issue” as North Korea has repeatedly threatened to destroy the United States which in turn has warned that “all options are on the table” in ending North Korean provocations.

The Trump administration said on Wednesday it aimed to push North Korea into dismantling its nuclear and missile programmes, which are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, through tougher international sanctions and diplomatic pressure.

“The United States seeks stability and the peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. We remain open to negotiations towards that goal. However, we remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies,” it said in a statement.

Asked about the US comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China had noted that many US officials had recently made such remarks.

“We have noted these expressions, and have noted the message conveyed in these expressions hoping to resolve the Korean nuclear issue peacefully through dialogue and consultation,” he said.

“We believe this message is positive and should be affirmed.” South Korea and the United States agreed on Thursday on “swift punitive measures” against North Korea in the event of further provocation. The South also said the deployment of a US anti-missile defence system was moving ahead effectively a day after angry protests against the battery and fierce opposition from China.

South Korea on Wednesday moved parts of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to its deployment site on a golf course about 250km south of the capital, Seoul, signalling a faster installation of the system.