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Reuters and AP are apparently both reporting the claim.
NKorea Says Made Nuke Weapons, Shuns 6-Way Talks
Aggie's point in Sava's thread may get some indisputable backing out of this. 
NKorea Says Made Nuke Weapons, Shuns 6-Way Talks
TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea said on Thursday that it had manufactured nuclear weapons for its self-defense and was suspending participation in six-way talks on its atomic arms program for an "indefinite period."
Washington has recently stepped up its efforts to revive the six-party talks, sending an envoy to the region last week with letters for Chinese President Hu Jintao, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
In North Korea's clearest statement yet that it already possesses nuclear arms, the official KCNA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying:
"We had already taken the resolute action of pulling out of the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) and have manufactured nukes to cope with the Bush administration's evermore undisguised policy to isolate and stifle the DPRK (North Korea).
"Its nuclear weapons will remain nuclear deterrent for self-defense under any circumstances," the statement added.
U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton told reporters earlier in the day that Washington was ready to resume the talks at any time.
But KCNA said Pyongyang saw no reason to take part now.
"We have wanted the six-party talks but we are compelled to suspend our participation in the talks for an indefinite period till we have recognized that there is justification for us to attend the talks and there are ample conditions and atmosphere to expect positive results from the talks," the spokesman was quoted as saying.
"The Bush administration termed the DPRK, its dialogue partner, an outpost of tyranny, putting into the shade its hostile policy, and totally rejected it," the spokesman said.
"This deprived the DPRK of any justification to participate in the six-party talks," the spokesman added.
The United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia have held three rounds of talks with North Korea since August 2003 and have been trying to coax Pyongyang back to the negotiations.
Diplomatic analysts had said Pyongyang wanted to see how President Bush's policy toward North Korea shaped up with the start of his second term, and had pointed to late February or early March as the possible timing for a fresh round.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
Washington has recently stepped up its efforts to revive the six-party talks, sending an envoy to the region last week with letters for Chinese President Hu Jintao, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
In North Korea's clearest statement yet that it already possesses nuclear arms, the official KCNA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying:
"We had already taken the resolute action of pulling out of the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) and have manufactured nukes to cope with the Bush administration's evermore undisguised policy to isolate and stifle the DPRK (North Korea).
"Its nuclear weapons will remain nuclear deterrent for self-defense under any circumstances," the statement added.
U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton told reporters earlier in the day that Washington was ready to resume the talks at any time.
But KCNA said Pyongyang saw no reason to take part now.
"We have wanted the six-party talks but we are compelled to suspend our participation in the talks for an indefinite period till we have recognized that there is justification for us to attend the talks and there are ample conditions and atmosphere to expect positive results from the talks," the spokesman was quoted as saying.
"The Bush administration termed the DPRK, its dialogue partner, an outpost of tyranny, putting into the shade its hostile policy, and totally rejected it," the spokesman said.
"This deprived the DPRK of any justification to participate in the six-party talks," the spokesman added.
The United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia have held three rounds of talks with North Korea since August 2003 and have been trying to coax Pyongyang back to the negotiations.
Diplomatic analysts had said Pyongyang wanted to see how President Bush's policy toward North Korea shaped up with the start of his second term, and had pointed to late February or early March as the possible timing for a fresh round.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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