NK, “Will Strongly Respond against U.S.`s Hard-line Policies“

Spokesperson of the North Korea`s Foreign Ministry announced through state-running Central Broadcast yesterday, "inevitably, we cannot but take corresponding countermeasures against the U.S.`s hostile policy towards North Korea."

Responding to the questions of a Central Broadcast`s reporter, the spokesperson remarked, "the U.S. is attempting to press us by raising the issues related with the verification of weapons of mass destruction, intentionally connecting us to the terror with the issues of human rights and biochemical weapons."

The spokesperson`s interview is the first response of the North to the U.S. President Bush`s emphasis on the North Korean weapons of mass destruction on Nov. 26.

The spokesperson stated, "[the U.S.] is requesting for investigations [on weapons of massive destruction] even though the Light Water Reactor Project, which was carried on by the Geneva Agreed Framework, has been delayed. These circumstances clearly show that the resolution through dialogue is in fact far from reality."

He also asserted, "the U.S. dares to express its hostile policies against us by putting us in the terrorism sponsors, even though NK opposes terror and has nothing to do with terror. We cannot maintain idle any more."

Young-Sik Kim spear@donga.com