North Korean media say US should recognize Pyongyang's nuclear status

PYONGYANG, February 13. /TASS/. The Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea (DPRK) decided to have access to nuclear weapons "because of actions of the U.S. Administration, which began hostile policies against the republic immediately after it was established," Rodong Sinmun said in a comment published on Saturday.

The daily criticizes Washington for its "unwillingness to recognize the legal and reasonable nuclear status of Pyongyang."

The DPRK several times invited the U.S. for the sake of favorable environment on the Korean Peninsula to sign a peace treaty instead of the truce treaty, signed in the end of the Korean War of 1950-1953, but received refusals only, the newspaper wrote. Moreover, "Washington now is of true nuclear threat to DPRK."

Rodong Sinmun hopes the U.S. would be able to favour establishment of good climate on the peninsula if it "reviews the hostile trend in relations with the DPRK and reacts positively to Pyongyang’s suggestions on the peace treaty."

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday adopted a bill, under which the country may expand sanctions against the DPRK due to its nuclear and missile programs. The initiative was supported by 408 members of the Congress, and only two were against the decision.

On February 7, a carrier rocket, made in North Korea, took to the target Earth orbit Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite, KCNA reported, saying the apparatus was launched from the Sohae pad in the country’s western region. The DPRK "will continue in future taking satellites to the Earth orbit," the agency said. Pyongyang reported in 9 minutes and 46 seconds after the start the space apparatus reached the orbit.

On the following day, the UN Security Council members called for speeding up the work on a resolution imposing tougher sanctions on Pyongyang. A Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity that the United States wanted the Security Council sanctions to cover not only North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. In particular, the US side proposed to introduce restrictive measures against the country's banking system.

After the Security Council meeting, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said he agreed it was necessary to toughen sanctions against Pyongyang, but warned that they should not cause a collapse in the country. In addition, he said that the document should exclude an option of the DPRK nuclear issue settlement by force.

According to CNN, though North Korea said the launch was for scientific and "peaceful purposes" adding it plans to launch more satellites it was viewed by other nations, such as Japan and South Korea, as a front for a ballistic missile test, especially coming on the heels of North Korea's purported hydrogen bomb test last month.