N.Korea says to bolster nuclear deterrent in new way

Sinking of South Korea ship 'provocative' but not terror: US
Washington June 28, 2010 - The United States considers the sinking last March allegedly by North Korea of a South Korean warship to be "provocative," but not an act of terrorism, a US State Department spokesman said Monday. "It is our judgment that the sinking of the Cheonan is not an act of international terrorism," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. The sinking of the warship Cheonan cost 46 lives and led to international condemnation against Pyongyang. Nevertheless, the US diplomatic spokesman said, it was not an act of terror. "It was in our view a provocative action, but one taken by the military of a state against the military of another state. That in our view doesn't constitute an act of terrorism," Crowley said.

"It certainly is a violation of the existing armistice, and we're seeking a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss that," he added. Crowley said that Washington nevertheless has "plenty of concerns about activity of North Korea in terms of its well established export of weapons and dangerous technology and know-how. "We will not hesitate to take action if we think there are actions that North Korea has taken which do in fact demonstrate consistent support for international terrorism," he said. South Korea in early June referred the sinking issue to the UN Security Council after a multinational investigation. The United States and most other Western nations have strongly backed Seoul in its effort to hold North Korea to account for the attack, as has Japan, though China and Russia have been more hesitant.

S.Korean leader wants North apology
Washington (AFP) June 28, 2010 - South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak demanded that North Korea apologize over the sinking of a warship and voiced hope that China and Russia will join in international condemnation. In an interview with US network ABC broadcast Monday, Lee reiterated his view that the March sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, which cost 46 lives, was a "clear military provocation" by the communist North. "Our ultimate national vision and objective is to achieve peaceful reunification," Lee said, according to ABC's translation. "But, of course, for all of this to happen, North Korea must first apologize for what they did," he said.

South Korea in early June referred the issue to the UN Security Council after a multinational investigation into the sinking. At the time, Lee said North Korea must admit its wrongdoing and pledge never again to do the same. The United States has strongly supported South Korea, as have most other Western nations and Japan. But China and Russia have been more hesitant. China, the main economic and political partner of North Korea, has put a priority on encouraging stability on the divided peninsula. Lee said he considered China and Russia both to be "responsible countries." "That's why I have full confidence that both China and Russia and their leaders will continue to engage in this discussion in a fair and very objective manner," Lee said. North Korea, which has tested two nuclear bombs, on Monday vowed to "bolster its nuclear deterrent" in response to what it branded US hostility.

by Staff Writers
Seoul (AFP) June 28, 2010
North Korea said Monday it would bolster its nuclear weaponry with an unspecified new method in response to what it called US hostility and recent developments.

"The recent disturbing development on the Korean peninsula underscores the need for the DPRK (North Korea) to bolster its nuclear deterrent in a newly developed way to cope with the US persistent hostile policy toward the DPRK and military threat toward it," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman, quoted by the official news agency, did not elaborate.

North Korea announced on May 12 it had conducted a nuclear fusion reaction, a process that can be used in making a hydrogen bomb. It did not link the allegedly successful experiment to its atomic weapons programme.

South Korean officials said they had detected an abnormally high level of xenon gas -- a by-product of atomic tests -- on May 14, but added there was no evidence a test had been carried out.

Last September the communist state announced it had reached the final stage of enriching uranium, a second way of making nuclear bombs in addition to the North's original plutonium-based operation.

The North has reacted angrily to South Korea's moves to censure it at the United Nations for the sinking of one of Seoul's warships in March. It has denied responsibility and threatened a military response to any UN action.

Monday's statement followed the disclosure last week that the United States studied a plan for tactical nuclear strikes on North Korea in 1969, as one possible option in response to the downing of a US spy aircraft.

The disclosure showed that the US "has always watched for a chance to use nuclear weapons" against the North, the ministry spokesman said.

"Historical facts prove that the DPRK was quite right when it made a decision to react to nukes with a nuclear deterrent."

The hardline communist state has carried out two atomic weapons tests, in 2006 and 2009. It is thought to have enough plutonium to make around six nuclear weapons, but it is unclear whether it has the means of delivering them.

In a separate statement, the North's military accused the United States Monday of bringing what it called heavy weapons into the border truce village of Panmunjom.

It warned of "strong military countermeasures" at the village, a top tourist attraction for visitors from the South, unless they are withdrawn.

A multinational investigation concluded in May that a North Korean submarine torpedoed the South Korean warship Cheonan in March with the loss of 46 lives.

Tensions rose sharply after the South, with strong US support, announced non-military reprisals and sought UN Security Council censure.

Permanent veto-wielding council members China and Russia have been hesitant about publicly blaming the North.

US President Barack Obama, speaking on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Toronto Sunday, said he held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao and had been "blunt" with him on the issue of North Korea.

While he understood that North Korea and China were neighbours, Obama said: "I think there's a difference between restraint and willful blindness to consistent problems.

"My hope is that President Hu will recognise as well that this is an example of Pyongyang going over the line."

In a communique after a Group of Eight meeting on Saturday, members including Russia noted the investigation results, condemned "in this context" the warship attack and demanded that the North refrain from hostile actions against the South.

South Korean media noted, however, that the statement did not explicitly accuse the North of sinking the ship.

North Korea said Sunday it was open to inter-Korean military talks to address the sinking, but it repeated refusals to deal with US "imperialist aggressor" forces on the issue.

It repeated demands to send its investigators to the South to examine the evidence on the sinking, a condition which Seoul has refused.

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In signal to Pyongyang, US, SKorea beef up ties
Toronto (AFP) June 26, 2010
In a display of unshakeable unity against nuclear-armed North Korea, US President Barack Obama agreed Saturday to wrap up a long delayed free trade deal with South Korea and extend Washington's wartime command of South Korean forces. As tensions surged on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang was blamed for a deadly attack on a Seoul warship, Obama held warm talks with South Korean President ... read more

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