North Korea says nuclear weapons are deployed in South Korea
North Korea claimed that the United States has nuclear weapons in South Korea through the Russian Itar-Tass news agency. The US Department of State strongly denied the assertion, saying, “It is an old claim from the North.” However, doubts over the deployment of US atomic weapons in the South have been rising.
Analysts forecast that the claims from the North could negatively impact the six-party talks scheduled to be held in December. Itar-Tass quoted a North Korean source as saying, “North Korea now believes that Washington has atomic weapons deployed in South Korea and it will not stop its nuclear program as long as the threat of US atomic arms lasts.”
The source also said, “Pyongyang has doubts that there are no US nuclear weapons in the South,” adding, “North Korea is forced to have the ability to conduct self-defense and to enhance its nuclear capability.” In particular, the source stressed that without eliminating the threat from the United States, the North cannot agree to disarm its nuclear weapons. The US has offered guarantees of North Korean national security.
Another Russian news agency also quoted a North Korean official, “The North is ready in principle for the six-party talks, but it is not acceptable for the North to disarm its nuclear bombs as was strongly demanded by the US at their preliminary meeting in Beijing last month."
Asked about the report, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack strongly rejected it at his regular briefing yesterday, saying, “The US has affirmed several times that we have had no nuclear weapons deployed in the South since 1989. The policy is still valid.” McCormack also stressed that in 1994 the US stated that it did not deploy atomic bombs in the South, and last year the US reconfirmed that in Beijing talks.
|
 / 입력시간: 2006. 12.09. 12:27
|
|
|
