North Korea in threat to South's former president Park Geun-Hye
Pyongyang claims the former leader plotted to have Kim Jong-Un assassinated and is demanding Seoul hands her over.
Wednesday 28 June 2017 16:34, UK
North Korea has threatened to "impose the death penalty" on the South's former president after claiming Park Geun-Hye was involved in a plot to assassinate Kim Jong-Un.
Park had "pushed forward" a plan by Seoul's intelligence services to eliminate the North's leadership, according to a statement put out by Pyongyang's security ministry and prosecutors.
The statement, carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency, said: "We declare at home and abroad that we will impose death penalty on traitor Park Geun-Hye."
It added that former director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) Lee Byung-Ho would meet a similar fate.
The statement went on to say they "can never make any appeal even though they meet miserable dog's death any time, at any place and by whatever methods from this moment".
The threat comes after the killing of Mr Kim's estranged half-brother Kim Jong-Nam by two women using the banned nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur international airport in February.
Malaysia and South Korea have blamed the North for the assassination, which has responded by saying the accusations are an attempt to smear it.
Pyongyang's powerful ministry of state security said last month that it had foiled a plot by the US and South Korean spy agencies to kill Kim using a biochemical weapon.
The accusations came as tensions heightened over the North's nuclear and missile programmes and with the US considering whether to re-designate Pyongyang as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Park's successor, new South Korean President Moon Jae-In - who backs engagement with the North - leaves this week for a summit meeting with Donald Trump in Washington DC.
Pyongyang now wants Seoul to hand over "traitor Park" and the former intelligence chief because "they committed hideous state-sponsored terrorism against the supreme leadership" of North Korea.
Park is currently on trial in Seoul on charges of bribery and abuse of power related to the massive corruption scandal that saw her impeached.