S.Korea warns of domino effect from DPRK's nuclear test

South Korean President Park Geun-hye had warned of a domino effect in the northeast Asian region from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s another nuclear test, the presidential office said Friday.

"North Korea(DPRK) would effectively be crossing the Rubicon if they were to conduct another nuclear test," Park said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that was conducted Wednesday and published Friday. "It would be difficult for us to prevent a nuclear domino from occurring in this area."

The DPRK threatened a "new form" of nuclear test in March after a UN rebuke of Pyongyang's missile firings in late February and March. Seoul's Defense Ministry has said increased activity was defected in the DPRK's main nuclear test site where the third test was staged in February last year.

Park said that one effect of a new test in an already unstable region would be the prospect of nearby countries fearing they needed to develop their own nuclear arsenal.

The first South Korean woman leader emphasized an importance of strong ties with China. "China plays a role of a critical mainstay in upholding peace and stability on the Korean peninsula."

Park also talked about ties between Seoul and Tokyo, which have been strained since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to power in December 2012. The already frosty relations worsened further after Abe paid a visit to the controversial Yasukuni shrine, which honors 14 Class-A war criminals, last December. "Japan would be very well-advised to proceed in a manner that doesn't further deepen the concerns of their neighbors and it would be very helpful if U.S. also counsels the Japanese to that effect," said Park.