NKorea says US has nuclear bomb in South: Report

Moscow, Dec 8: North Korea believes Washington has atomicweapons deployed in South Korea and it will not halt its nuclearprogramme as long as this threat persists, Itar-Tass news agency quoteda North Korean source as saying today.

''(North Korea) has practically no doubts that there are USnuclear weapons in the south of the Korean Peninsula,'' the source toldTass. ''North Korea is forced, in the interests of self-defence, toenhance its nuclear capability.'' ''Without eliminating the threat fromthe United States and without relevant guarantees being offered,Pyongyang will not agree to give up its right to possess a defensivenuclear shield whatever the pressure from outside.'' Asked about thereport, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack strongly rejectedit, adding these were old claims.

''The United States has affirmed it has no nuclear weapons on theKorean Peninsula and it has no intention to attack or invade the DPRKwith nuclear or conventional weapons,'' McCormack told reporters inWashington.

North Korea drew international condemnation when it conducted anuclear test on Oct. 9. It has since agreed to return to six-partydisarmament talks it had boycotted for a year.

Despite a flurry of diplomacy, no date has been set for the talks,which involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan andRussia.

The source did not link Pyongyang's allegations about a US nuclearweapon directly to the failure to restart the talks. But the sourceunderlined North Korea's conditions for their resumption.

''The North Korean side is ready in principle for such talks, butbecause of US position the new round is being postponed,'' he said.

''Until the atmosphere of pressure eases and until all ourfinancial operations blocked by Washington are released, we will notjoin the six-way talks,'' the source added.

Russian news agencies are among the few media outlets which have regular access to official circles in reclusive North Korea.

Reuters