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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| N Korea 'in final uranium phase' | N Korea 'in final uranium phase' |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| North Korea has entered the final phase of uranium enrichment, the country's state media has reported. | |
| "Uranium enrichment tests have been successfully carried out and that process is in the concluding stage," state media were quoted as saying. | "Uranium enrichment tests have been successfully carried out and that process is in the concluding stage," state media were quoted as saying. |
| Uranium enrichment can be a step towards making fuel for a nuclear bomb, a move in defiance of pressure on the North to abandon its nuclear work. | |
| The UN passed tougher sanctions after a nuclear test by Pyongyang in May. | The UN passed tougher sanctions after a nuclear test by Pyongyang in May. |
| Both that test and an earlier nuclear test by North Korea in 2006 were understood to have been plutonium-based warheads. | Both that test and an earlier nuclear test by North Korea in 2006 were understood to have been plutonium-based warheads. |
| Defiance | Defiance |
| The North's KCNA news agency reported that North Korea's delegation at the United Nations had written to the Security Council, saying Pyongyang was now ready "for both sanctions and dialogue". | The North's KCNA news agency reported that North Korea's delegation at the United Nations had written to the Security Council, saying Pyongyang was now ready "for both sanctions and dialogue". |
| "Reprocessing of spent fuel rods is at its final phase and extracted plutonium is being weaponised," the AFP news agency reported the delegation as saying. | "Reprocessing of spent fuel rods is at its final phase and extracted plutonium is being weaponised," the AFP news agency reported the delegation as saying. |
| "If some permanent members of the UN Security Council wish to put sanctions first before dialogue, we would respond with bolstering our nuclear deterrence first before we meet them in a dialogue," the delegation said. | "If some permanent members of the UN Security Council wish to put sanctions first before dialogue, we would respond with bolstering our nuclear deterrence first before we meet them in a dialogue," the delegation said. |
| South Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned what it calls "threats and provocative acts." | |
| The United States' special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, said the enrichment claim was "of concern". | |
| "Obviously, anything that the North is doing in the area of nuclear development is of concern to us," he said. | |
| North Korea has now gone from complete denial of enriching uranium just three months ago to admitting processing, says the BBC's John Sudworth, in Seoul. | |
| The worry is that uranium enrichment is a process that can be easily hidden, and in addition, North Korea has ample natural reserves of the raw material, he adds. | |
| The statement may seem to be at odds with recent gestures from Pyonyang that many observers saw as an attempt to lower tensions. | |
| But there had been warnings of caution. | |
| South Korea's defence minister had warned in June that the North was going ahead with plans to enrich uranium, a step towards making nuclear weapons. | South Korea's defence minister had warned in June that the North was going ahead with plans to enrich uranium, a step towards making nuclear weapons. |
| Observers say the US has long suspected the existence of a secret uranium enrichment programme in the North, though experts say it remains little-developed. | Observers say the US has long suspected the existence of a secret uranium enrichment programme in the North, though experts say it remains little-developed. |
| In the past few months, North Korea has fired a long-range rocket over Japanese territory and conducted an underground, plutonium-based nuclear test. | In the past few months, North Korea has fired a long-range rocket over Japanese territory and conducted an underground, plutonium-based nuclear test. |
| Renewed tensions | Renewed tensions |
| But more recently, the secretive communist nation has made more conciliatory gestures on the world stage. | But more recently, the secretive communist nation has made more conciliatory gestures on the world stage. |
| Two US reporters and a South Korean worker were released from detention and Pyongyang said it was interested in resuming cross-border tourism and industrial projects with the South. | |
| Less than two weeks ago, the first meeting between officials from the North and South for nearly two years took place unexpectedly in the southern capital, Seoul. | Less than two weeks ago, the first meeting between officials from the North and South for nearly two years took place unexpectedly in the southern capital, Seoul. |
| However, the latest communique indicated that the North was unhappy that the UN allowed South Korea to launch a satellite last month, after having condemned its own rocket launch in April, Reuters reported. | However, the latest communique indicated that the North was unhappy that the UN allowed South Korea to launch a satellite last month, after having condemned its own rocket launch in April, Reuters reported. |
| Correspondents said Pyongyang's latest remarks appeared to seek once again to ratchet up tensions on the Korean peninsula. | Correspondents said Pyongyang's latest remarks appeared to seek once again to ratchet up tensions on the Korean peninsula. |