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N Korea 'in final uranium phase' N Korea 'in final uranium phase'
(about 1 hour later)
North Korea has entered the final phase of uranium enrichment, the country's state media has reported.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," the North's KCNA news agency said.
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. Uranium enrichment would give Pyongyang a second way to make a nuclear bomb - but it also said it was continuing to reprocess and weaponise plutonium.
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 carried out with plutonium.
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, says the BBC's John Sudworth in South Korea.
DefianceDefiance
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". KCNA reported that North Korea's delegation at the United Nations had written to the UN 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," it said.
How the nuclear fuel cycle works
"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."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".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."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. North Korea has gone from completely denying that it was enriching uranium just three months ago to admitting processing, says our correspondent.
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 Pyongyang that many observers saw as an attempt to lower tensions.
The statement may seem to be at odds with recent gestures from Pyonyang that many observers saw as an attempt to lower tensions. But South Korea's defence minister warned in June that "it is clear" the North was going ahead with plans to enrich uranium.
But there had been warnings of caution. Lee Sang-hee said an uranium enrichment programme would be far easier to hide than reprocessing plutonium from spent fuel rods, as it can be conducted in a space as small as 600 sq metres (6,500 sq feet).
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. North Korea's plutonium programme is based on the Yongbyon reactor, which is under US satellite observation.
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.
Renewed tensionsRenewed tensions
But more recently, the secretive communist nation has made more conciliatory gestures on the world stage. But 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.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 South's 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 KCNA report indicates the North is unhappy that the UN allowed South Korea to launch a satellite last month, having condemned its own rocket launch in April.
The communique also reiterated Pyongyang's opposition to continuing the long-running six-party talks, involving the two Koreas, China, Russia, the US and Japan, on the nuclear issue.
"We have never objected to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and of the world itself," it said.
"What we objected to is the structure of the six-way talks which had been used to violate outrageously [North Korea's] sovereignty and its right to peaceful development".
Pyongyang has in the past said it is open to direct talks with the US, but US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in June that the six-party talk framework was "the appropriate way to engage with North Korea".
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.