South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-moon, who is set to be confirmed as the next United Nations secretary-general on Monday, said on Thursday he would use his UN mandate directly to tackle North Korea over its nuclear programme.

Amid the international uproar over Pyongyang’s threat this week to conduct a nuclear test, Mr Ban told the Financial Times he would visit North Korea in a bid to convince the rogue state to join diplomatic negotiations rather than indulge in “negative activities”.