- Title: KOREA-NORTH/ENVOY North Korea will pursue "defensive" nuclear programme - envoy
- Date: 13th August 2015
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (AUGUST 13, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GENEVA LAKE WITH WATER JET EXTERIOR OF NORTH KOREA'S PERMANENT MISSION CLOSE OF PLAQUE READING (French): "PERMANENT MISSION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN GENEVA" / CAR ENTERING GATE PHOTOGRAPHS OUTSIDE MISSION VARIOUS OF NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR, SO SE PYONG, TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR, SO SE PYONG, SAYING: "They (U.S.A.) have to change their attitude, their hostile policies attitude and otherwise, as we mentioned strictly as the country's policy, we'll continue the simultaneous development of the economy and the nuclear program." CLOSE OF SO SE PYONG EYES (SOUNDBITE) (English) NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR, SO SE PYONG, SAYING: "When at the second Korean war, then, no problem. Now DPRK is different from 1950's. We can make any kind of things against that." SO SE PYONG TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR, SO SE PYONG, SAYING: "If something happens in South Korea, they blame North - (for) everything. A few years before there was the incident of the ship which was sank, they blamed the North also." MIRROR SHOWING SO SE PYONG TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) NORTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR, SO SE PYONG, SAYING: "How can we make that small notorious things if there is a kind of big military actions, then we have to make the account, you know the actions. A small thing, for what purpose?" PHOTOGRAPHS ON WALL OF KIM JONG-IL AND KIM IL-SUNG SO SE PYONG WITH HIS SPOKESPERSON AND JOURNALIST
- Embargoed: 28th August 2015 13:00
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- Location: Switzerland
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAF1JQH3WORZSQCRKBQI4Q55PTI
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: North Korea will pursue its "defensive" nuclear programme as long as it feels threatened by the United States, its U.N. disarmament envoy in Geneva told Reuters on Thursday (August 13).
In a rare interview, Ambassador So Se Pyong also denounced the latest joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, due to start next week, saying they fanned tensions on the divided peninsula as it marks the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japanese occupation at the end of World War Two.
"They have to change their attitude, their hostile policies attitude and otherwise, as we mentioned strictly as the country's policy, we'll continue the simultaneous development of the economy and the nuclear program," he told Reuters.
So Se Pyong said the program was defensive but warned that if war broke out with rivals his country would be prepared.
"When at the second Korean war, then, no problem. Now DPRK is different from 1950's. We can make any kind of things against that," said So, who is the Democratic Republic of Korea's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva and to its Conference on Disarmament.
North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests, the last in February 2013, and now calls itself a nuclear weapons state. It has said it is not interested in an Iran-like dialogue with the United States to give up its nuclear capabilities.
So denied that North Korea had played any role in laying land mines that exploded in the Demilitarised Zone border last week, injuring two South Korean soldiers. South Korea's military has threatened retaliation after it accused Pyongyang of planting the mines, calling it an act of provocation.
"If something happens in South Korea, they blame the North - (for) everything. A few years before there was the incident of the ship which was sank, they blamed the North also," So said.
When pressed to clarify whether his government was involved, he said.
"How can we make that small notorious things if there is a kind of big military actions, then we have to make the account, you know the actions. A small thing, for what purpose?"
When asked about reports that North Korea might be preparing another underground nuclear test or long-range missile launch, he said that is was top secret.
A U.S. nuclear expert said on Wednesday (August 12) that North Korea appeared to be expanding its capacity to produce uranium, which could be used to increase its stockpile of nuclear weapons.
The expert, Jeffrey Lewis, said recent satellite images showed North Korea had begun to refurbish a major uranium mill in Pyongsan.
So said he had no information on the site.
South Korea said on Thursday its president, Park Geun-hye, would hold an Oct. 16 summit in Washington with U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss issues including North Korea's nuclear programme. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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