North Korea on Thursday threatened to beef up its military capabilities and carry out a fourth nuclear test in response to what it claims had been U.S. provocation that led to the United Nations' approval of a landmark resolution on the country's human rights violations.

Pyongyang said the resolution's approval was a "grave political provocation" machinated by the U.S. even though the document was drafted by Japanese and European Union officials.

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Continued aggression from the U.S. has left the country with no choice but to seek to strengthen its war deterrent capabilities at a potentially "unlimited" degree" and thus, resume its nuclear testing, a spokesperson for the North's Korean foreign ministry vowed.

The official's remarks echo those of North Korean foreign ministry adviser Choe Myong Nam to the UN earlier this week as he warned of further nuclear tests should the UN's draft push through.

On Tuesday, a UN General Assembly committee had signaled its backing of a Security Council resolution referring Pyongyang's human rights situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

If approved, the resolution could bring North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un at the forefront of prosecutions, Times of India said.

Observers say it is unlikely Pyongyang would follow through on its threats since doing so would incur increased global condemnation and undermine efforts at attracting foreign investment to revive its declining economy.

Additionally, China and Russia - both of which hold veto power at the UN Security Council - would not allow the passage of the resolution referring Pyongyang's crimes against humanity to the ICC, said analyst Lim Eul Chul, noting that both countries would not want another North Korean nuclear test.

Beijing and Moscow have accordingly vetoed the non-binding resolution. The resolution is expected to come to a vote in the UN General Assembly in the following weeks.

It must be noted, however, that North Korea has in the past, gone against analysts' predictions and veered from the usual norm.  

TagsNorth Korea, Nuclear test, U.S. hostility, UN Resolution on North Korea's crimes against humanity, human rights violations, International Criminal Court, China-North Korea relations, Russia-North Korea relations