N Korea admits to having nukes

2005-02-10 08:41

South Korea - North Korea publicly admitted on Thursday for the first time that the country has nuclear weapons, and said it wouldn't return to six-nation talks aimed at getting it to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

"We had already taken the resolute action of pulling out of the (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty) and have manufactured nukes for self-defence to cope with the Bush administration's evermore undisguised policy to isolate and stifle the DPRK," the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

DPRK refers to the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea's "nuclear weapons will remain (a) nuclear deterrent for self-defence under any circumstances," the ministry said. "The present reality proves that only powerful strength can protect justice and truth."

Since 2003, the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia have held three rounds of talks in Beijing aimed at persuading the North to abandon nuclear weapons development in return for economic and diplomatic rewards. But no significant progress has been made.

A fourth round scheduled for September was cancelled when North Korea refused to attend, citing what it called a "hostile" United States policy.

Thursday's statement came after United States President George W Bush started his second term last month by refraining from direct criticism of North Korea - raising hopes that the North would return to the stalled nuclear talks. But North Korea said it had little hope for improved ties during Bush's second term office.

"We have wanted the six-party talks but we are compelled to suspend our participation in the talks for an indefinite period till we have recognised that there is justification for us to attend the talks," the North said Thursday.

North Korea said it came to its decision because "the US disclosed its attempt to topple the political system in the DPRK at any cost, threatening it with a nuclear stick."

Still, North Korea said it retained its "principled stand to solve the issue through dialogue and negotiations and its ultimate goal to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula remain unchanged."

- AP