North Korea test threatens atom bomb ban

Vienna, Oct 9: North Korea's nuclear test threatens the international community's treaty to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the United Nation's nuclear watchdog IAEA said today.

''This reported nuclear test threatens the nuclear non-proliferation regime and creates serious security challenges not only for the East Asian region but also for the international community,'' the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.

''The breaking of a de-facto global moratorium on nuclear explosive testing that has been in place for nearly a decade and the addition of a new state with nuclear weapon capacity is a clear setback to international commitments to move towards nuclear disarmament,'' it said.

North Korea expelled IAEA inspectors from the country and disabled the watchdog's surveillance devices at its Yongbyon reactor in December 2002.

The reclusive country left the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in early 2003.

IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei reiterated the urgent need to establish a legally binding universal ban on nuclear testing while adding he believed in the importance of finding a negotiated solution to the current situation.

''The Director General believes that resumption of dialogue between all concerned parties is indispensable and urgent,'' the IAEA said in the statement.

REUTERS