North Korean officials have denied reports that the communist regime is preparing to conduct a nuclear test, a Czech delegation said on Wednesday following a visit to Pyongyang this week.
However, North Korea is still reluctant to return to six-way talks aimed at winding down its nuclear programme despite recent bilateral contact with the United States in New York.
”Officials of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly dismissed the reports [of a nuclear test] as groundless propaganda,” Lubomir Zaoralek, chairperson of the Lower House of the Czech Parliament, told reporters.
Zaoralek and his team stopped over in South Korea following a four-day visit to North Korea.
The six-member Czech delegation met with North Korean leaders, including Pyongyang’s number two Kim Yong-Nam and SPA chairperson Choe Tae-Bok.
The North Korean officials dismissed speculation that Pyongyang is preparing a nuclear test as Washington’s ploy to isolate the communist state, Zaoralek said.
They also urged Washington to drop its ”hostile” policy, saying Pyongyang cannot negotiate with ”those who try to stifle the DPRK [North Korea]”, Zaoralek said.
North Korea has boycotted six-way talks on ending the stand-off over its nuclear programme since the third round in June last year.
Aside from the US and North Korea, the dialogue includes China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
After declaring itself nuclear-armed in February, the North said it had unloaded 8 000 spent fuel rods from its nuclear reactor, a step that would allow it to reprocess weapons-grade plutonium for more nuclear bombs.
Recent US media reports, quoting officials in Washington, said there are signs the North is preparing for a nuclear test.
North Korea has officially neither confirmed nor denied the reports. — Sapa-AFP