The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) rejected further talks on
its nuclear program because of U.S. breakdown, Choe Su Hon, Deputy Foreign
Minister of the DPRK, said Tuesday.
"It is quite preposterous that the DPRK, under the
groundless U.S. sanctions, takes part in the talks of discussing its own nuclear
abandonment," Choe said in his speech to the general debate of the 61st session
of the UN General Assembly.
"This is the matter of principle intolerable of even the slightest
concession," he stressed.
Choe reiterated that the DPRK maintains its consistent position to resolve
the issue of denuclearizing the Korean peninsula peacefully through dialogue and
negotiations, adding it is willing to hold the talks more than any other
countries.
"However, the United States, soon after the announcement of the Joint
Statement, has spent no time in imposing financial sanctions up on the DPRK," he
severely blamed the United States.
What the United States had done eventually scrapped the already-agreed
itinerary for the following rounds of the talks and created the present impasse,
the deputy foreign minister argued.
He pointed out that "it is crystal that the United States is not in favor of
the Six-Pary Talks and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."
Meanwhile, Choe emphasized the importance of the implementation of the
North-South Joint Declaration which was signed on June 15, 2000.
Under the banner of the Joint Declaration and under the ideals of By Our
Nation Itself, the DPRK will surely achieve the national reunification by firmly
realizing the cooperation in three areas of national independence, peace against
war and patriotism for reunification.