North Korea to maintain nuclear deterrent until US leaves region

Sep 29, 2010, 19:16 GMT

New York - North Korea said Wednesday its nuclear deterrent capability will remain in place as long as US nuclear aircraft carriers are present in surrounding seas.

Pyongyang's Vice Foreign Minister Pak Gil Yon said Northeast Asia has remained tense because of what he called the 'touch-and-go situation' following the downing of South Korea naval ship Cheonan in March.

South Korea, backed by the US, accused North Korea of torpedoing the ship, which resulted in more than 40 South Korean sailors killed. The north has rejected the accusation.

Pak accused the US of being a 'disruptor of peace' in the region.

'As long as the UN nuclear aircraft carriers sail around the seas of our country, our nuclear deterrent can never be abandoned, but should be strengthened further,' Pak said in an address to the UN General Assembly in New York.

'This is the lesson we have drawn,' he said.

Pak said North Korea's nuclear policy remains unchanged and that it is opposed to nuclear war, nuclear arms race and nuclear proliferation.

'The denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is the policy goal maintained consistently by the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for peace and security in Northeast Asia and the denuclearization of the world,' Pak said.

Pak said the Middle East and the Korean peninsula are 'chronic hot spots' affecting world peace and security. He called on the international community to help end the 35-year war situation on the Korean peninsula, referring to the ending the Korean War in 1953 with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. North and South Korea remain in a virtual state of war.

He said UN members have the 'noble duty' to safeguard peace and security, and promote socio-economic development in and around the Korean peninsula.