North Korea leans toward talks, but restates intention to keep nuclear weapons
North Korea has exhibited signs it may be willing to discuss some nuclear disarmament, and negotiate to lift U.N. sanctions. But Saturday, the country reiterated its intention not to completely denuclearize.
Morning commuters walk past a poster showing weapons targeting the White House on a street in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday. The poster reads: 'Not by words, but only through arms.'
Alexander F. Yuan/AP
Seoul
听reiterated on Saturday that it would not give up its nuclear weapons, rejecting a US condition for talks although it said it was willing to discuss disarmament.
, in a sign of a possible end to weeks of heightened hostility on the Korean peninsula, offered the United States and听听a list of conditions on Thursday for talks, including the lifting of U.N. sanctions.
But the听听said it was awaiting "clear signals" that听听would halt its nuclear weapons activities.
"The US should not think about the denuclearization on the peninsula before the world is denuclearised," the听North's state-run听听newspaper said in a commentary.
"There may be talks between the DPRK and the US for disarmament but no talks on denuclearisation," it said.听North听Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of听Korea听(DPRK).
听signed a denuclearisation-for-aid deal in 2005 but later backed out of that pact. It now says its nuclear arms are a "treasured sword" that it will never give up.
It conducted its third nuclear test in February.
The test triggered new U.N. sanctions which in turn led to a dramatic intensification of听's threats of nuclear strikes against听听and the听.
US Secretary of State听听visited听, South听Korea听and听听this month for talks on听听and stressed his interest in a diplomatic solution to the tension on the peninsula.
He later told a US Senate hearing that听's list of conditions was "at least a beginning gambit", but added that it was "not acceptable, obviously, and we have to go further".
听said US talk of dialogue was "nothing but rhetoric".
听has a long record of making threats to secure concessions from the听听and听, only to repeat the process later. Both the听听and the South have said in recent days that the cycle must cease.