North Korea yesterday vowed to restart its disabled nuclear reactor and to abandon talks intended to eliminate its nuclear programme after the United Nations condemned its recent launch of a long-range missile.
Pyongyang threatened to restart its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and to begin reprocessing fuel rods, which would increase its stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium. It also declared it would not return to the six-party talks intended to eliminate nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula.
“We have no choice but to strengthen our defensive nuclear deterrent in response to increased military threats from hostile forces,” said the North Korean foreign ministry.