KCNA: DPRK 'Nuclear Deterrent Force' To Be Built If US Maintains 'Hostile Policy'
P'yongyang
KCNA in English 0554 GMT 9 Jun 03

Pyongyang, June 9 (kcna) -- The Bush government is escalating its moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK.

As already reported, the DPRK put forward a bold proposal for smoothly solving all issues at the DPRK-U.S. talks with a view to fundamentally settling the nuclear issue on the korean peninsula.

Since the DPRK put forward the proposal the world community has closely followed the U.S. attitude. because the DPRK's proposal is a constructive offer conducive to settling the nuclear issue and guaranteeing peace and stability in northeast asia.

But the Bush administration is adamantly insisting on the multilateral talks while uttering extremely provocative words about "further steps" and "stronger measures." such attitude of the U.S. only more saliently reveals the sinister design of the Bush administration to dramatize the DPRK's "nuclear threat" before the world community as much as possible and thus make it stand further isolated politically and diplomatically.

It is a universally known fact that the nuclear issue on the korean peninsula is a product of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK in every sense.

This issue surfaced on the korean peninsula because the successive U.S. regimes have pursued this hostile policy towards the DPRK and threatened it with nukes.

Therefore, the only way of settling it is for the united states chiefly responsible for the issue to seek a reasonable solution through bilateral talks with the DPRK.

The DPRK has already clarified its stand that the DPRK-U.S. talks should be held to be followed by the U.S.-proposed multilateral talks.

The U.S. attitude of insisting only on the "multilateral talks" while avoiding the DPRK-U.S. bilateral talks despite the DPRK's magnanimous stand only indicates the will of the Bush administration not to drop its hostile policy toward the DPRK.

The DPRK has no intention to have a nuclear deterrent force without any reason, quite contrary to washington's noisy propaganda.

The DPRK is willing to clear up the U.S. concern as regards the nuclear issue if it drops its hostile policy toward pyongyang and addresses its concern.

But if the U.S. keeps threatening the DPRK with nukes instead of abandoning its hostile policy toward pyongyang, the DPRK will have no option but to build up a nuclear deterrent force.

The DPRK's intention to build up a nuclear deterrent force is not aimed to threaten and blackmail others but reduce conventional weapons under a long-term plan and channel manpower resources and funds into economic construction and the betterment of people's living.

The DPRK will build up a powerful physical deterrent force capable of neutralizing any sophisticated and nuclear weapons with less spending unless the U.S. gives up its hostile policy toward the DPRK.

Now that the DPRK is no longer bound to the safeguards accord with the international atomic energy agency after its withdrawal from the npt the DPRK has the same legal status as the united states and other countries possessing nuclear weapons not bound to international law, as far as the issue of nuclear deterrent force is concerned.

The Bush administration should clearly know that it is good for its future for the united states to opt for completely dropping its hostile policy toward the DPRK instead of spreading the rumor about the "threat" of its nuclear deterrent force.

[Description of Source: P'yongyang Korean Central Broadcasting Station in Korean -- DPRK-owned central radio network]