Text of N Korea's nuclear warning
North Korea has threatened to unfreeze work at a nuclear power plant in response to a US-led halt on fuel aid shipments.
The threat was issued in the following statement from North Korea's foreign ministry, carried by North Korean news agency KCNA.
On 12 December, a DPRK (North Korean) Foreign Ministry spokesman issued a press statement declaring that to cope with the present situation, the DPRK Government has unavoidably decided to lift the nuclear freeze, which was taken under the premise of 500,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil per year being supplied in accordance with the DPRK-US Framework Agreement, and immediately resume the operation and construction of nuclear facilities necessary for electric power generation.
The spokesman pointed out:
The United States can never evade the responsibility for thoroughly trampling on both the spirit and letter of the Framework Agreement
On 14 November, the United States announced it would suspend the supply of heavy fuel oil, which it had been providing to our country in accordance with the DPRK-US Framework Agreement, and actually suspended the delivery of heavy fuel oil starting in December.
Thus the United States has completely abandoned its obligation of supplying heavy fuel oil as stipulated in the Framework Agreement, not only in words but also in deed.
The United States is misleading public opinion, as if its abandoning the obligation to supply heavy fuel oil was because we admitted having a nuclear development programme and thus violated the agreement first, but that is a futile attempt.
Peacefully resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula is a consistent stance of our republic's government
The United States can never evade the responsibility for thoroughly trampling on both the spirit and letter of the Framework Agreement by designating us an axis of evil and a target for pre-emptive nuclear attacks.
Our "admitting to nuclear development," which only the United States has raised, was a voluntary admission by the US president's special envoy while visiting the DPRK in early October.
We do not particularly feel the need to comment about this.
Peacefully resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula is a consistent stance of our republic's government.
Proceeding from this, we have manifested a high degree of self-control and patience even in the worst situation, like now, where, in reality the DPRK-US Agreed Framework has been in a state of rupture because of the United States, and nuclear threats against us have become a reality.
Nevertheless, the other side is amplifying its pressure offensives by saying we must give up our nuclear development program in verifiable manners while, first, pressing ahead with the measure to suspend the supply of heavy fuel oil.
The issue of once again freezing our nuclear facilities is wholly dependent on the United States
This is construed as something the United States clearly revealed as its attempt to get rid of our system by disarming us with force.
To us, the supply of heavy fuel oil is neither so-called aid nor co-operation, and was a US obligation to compensate for the loss of electricity resulting from the freeze of the nuclear power plants we were operating and constructing.
The United States' actual giving up of this obligation has left an immediate vacuum in our electricity production.
The issue of once again freezing our nuclear facilities is wholly dependent on the United States.
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