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North Korea to conduct nuclear weapon test

P. S. Suryanarayana

To cope with U.S. threat, says Pyongyang

SINGAPORE: For the first time, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced on Tuesday that it would conduct a nuclear weapon test but pledged to adhere to the principle of no-first use of the atom bomb.

The statement by the DPRK's Foreign Ministry did not spell out timeline for the test.

The statement appeared to lend credence to the speculation by Western and South Korean intelligence agencies, over the past several months, that the DPRK was preparing for an underground test. North Korea tested seven ballistic missiles, including an intercontinental version which was widely reckoned to have failed.

The DPRK, the statement said, had already "officially announced that it manufactured up-to-date nuclear weapons after going through transparent and legitimate processes to cope with America's escalated threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure. The already declared possession of nuclear weapons presupposes the [promised] nuclear test." It said Pyongyang would act as "a responsible nuclear state" that would always "sincerely implement its international commitment in the field of nuclear non-proliferation." The "ultimate goal" was nuclear disarmament and elimination of atomic weapons worldwide.

America to move U.N.

Agencies report:

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton said he planned to raise in the Security Council North Korea's threat to conduct a nuclear test.

``I want to raise it in the Council this morning,'' he told reporters. ``I expect there will be a fair amount of support to take this very seriously...It is a test of the Security Council.'' South Korea expressed ``deep regret and concern'' and ordered a security alert. ``This poses a grave threat to peace on the Korean peninsula and it will have a decisively negative impact on inter-Korean relations,'' said Unification Ministry spokesman Yang Chang-Seok.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed doubt about North Korean plans to conduct the test, urged restraint and said direct U.S.-North Korean contacts would ease the resumption of international talks on Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

``Japan and the world would definitely not tolerate a nuclear test [by the DPRK],'' Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. ``If the test is carried out, I believe the international community would respond harshly,'' he said.

``It's clear that this kind of action will naturally have a significant impact on Japan and the whole of Northeast Asia...[and] pose a threat to peace,'' Foreign Minister Taro Aso told reporters.

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