North Korea Quits Negotiations over Nuclear Weapons

The statement was issued by the North Korean state-run news agency KCNA reporting; “Now that the Six-Party talks have turned into a platform for infringing upon the sovereignty of the (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and seeking to force the DPRK to disarm itself and bring down the system in it, the DPRK will never participate in the talks any longer, nor it will be bound to any agreement of the Six-Party talks.”

North Korea’s foreign ministry also announced that they intend to strengthen nuclear capabilities; restarting a plant that makes bomb-grade plutonium. “The DPRK will bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defense in every way.” The statement went on to say; “It will take the measure for restoring to their original state the nuclear facilities which had been disabled under the agreement of the Six-Party talks and putting their operation on a normal track."

North Korea began taking apart Yongbyon in 2007; a nuclear plant disarmed during a “disarmament-for-aid” deal it reached with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States during Six-Party talks.

Experts believe the plant could be up and running again in three months; separating plutonium from spent fuel rods.

Shi Yinhong, a regional security expert at Renmin University in Beijing commented that “North Korea's statements are always a mixture of bluff and real threats, but I think the threats are more real this time, and I think they'll continue for the next few months at least.”

The U.N. Security Council on Monday unanimously condemned North Korea's launch on April 5. The launch acted in violation of UN security resolutions and as a result, the UN is demanding enforcement of these existing resolutions against North Korea.

China, possibly the only core ally to North Korea, attempts to balance the two sides keeping in mind the pressure from other international powers. A wrong decision from China could mean long-term implications.

Yinhong observes that “It means China is paying much more attention to the United States and Japan, and less to North Korea and its relations with North Korea."

Chinese officials at first called for “restraint” after the North Korean rocket launch nine days ago. Now that they have joined the UN security condemnation on North Korea; China seems uncertain about its intentions and alliances.

sources:

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE53C42820090414?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/14/nkorea.talks/index.html