SEOUL (AP) - North Korea threatened on Monday to build nuclear weapons as a deterrent to what it calls a "hostile" U.S. policy, in the communist government's first public declaration of its nuclear ambitions.
The statement marked a sharpening of the North's tone in its standoff with Washington. U.S. officials say the North Koreans told them privately that the country already has nuclear bombs and plans to build more, but until now Pyongyang had not openly stated its intention to develop an arsenal.
"If the U.S. keeps threatening the DPRK with nukes instead of abandoning its hostile policy toward Pyongyang, the DPRK will have no option but to build up a nuclear deterrent force," North Korea's official news agency said, using the acronym for the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The statement marked a sharpening of the North's tone in its standoff with Washington. U.S. officials say the North Koreans told them privately that the country already has nuclear bombs and plans to build more, but until now Pyongyang had not openly stated its intention to develop an arsenal.
"If the U.S. keeps threatening the DPRK with nukes instead of abandoning its hostile policy toward Pyongyang, the DPRK will have no option but to build up a nuclear deterrent force," North Korea's official news agency said, using the acronym for the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
