North Korea 'more lethal' than ever, says US

North Korea's nuclear program and its proliferation of nuclear know-how gravely imperil the global stability, says Robert Gates warning that the US does not accept a nuclear-capable Pyongyang.

The US defense secretary, addressing a gathering of US and South Korean soldiers in Seoul on Wednesday, warned that Pyongyang with its nuclear arsenal poses threats "even more lethal and destabilizing" than before.

"America's long-term military commitment here recognizes that the peril posed by the North Korean regime remains, and in many ways has become even more lethal and destabilizing," Gates was quoted by Reuters as saying.

"There should be no mistaking that we do not today, nor will we ever, accept a North Korea with nuclear weapons," said Gates, who was in South Korea after visiting Japan.

Gates added that Washington will not hesitate to protect its regional allies against Pyongyang by providing a nuclear umbrella or deploying a missile shield.

North Korea has so far defied Washington's threats against its nuclear program. It has tested numerous missiles this year and has boosted the number of its soldiers to ward off a possible military encounter with the South.