DPRK warns of enhancing nuclear deterrent force ( 2003-09-30 14:52) (Xinhua)
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will maintain and even
enhance its nuclear deterrent force unless the United States drops its hostile
policy toward the country, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday.
Although the United States had called for a peaceful solution to the DPRK
nuclear issue, and promised to put forward new plans at the next round of the
six-party talks, it had not changed its anti-DPRK policy, the official Korean
Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted the spokesman as saying.
The United States, China, the DPRK, Russia, Japan and South Korea held talks
in Beijing last month, during which Pyongyang demanded a non-aggression treaty
with Washington in return for the ultimate "de-nuclearization" of the Korean
Peninsula.
In fact, the United States, strengthened its isolation and containment
against the DPRK following the Beijing talks, said the spokesman. This reflected
a continued US hostile policy, he added.
The first session of the 11th Supreme People's Assembly, which ended on Sept.
3, passed a resolution supporting the DPRK government's stance on the nuclear
issue, he said.
"We will take essential measures to maintain and enforce our nuclear
deterrent force for preventing nuclear attacks by the United States and
safeguarding the peace on and around the Korean Peninsula," said the spokesman.
The DPRK has repeatedly declared that it will have no way but to seek
"nuclear deterrent force" if the United States does not abandon its anti-DPRK
policy and continues to threaten the DPRK with nuclear
weapons.