Pyongyang, Feb 13: North Korea today insisted that the US must also be investigated by the United Nations Security Council after the UN's atomic watchdog referred Pyongyang to the body for violating non-proliferation accords.

"The US is threatening our country with nuclear weapons so this must also be discussed in the Security Council," senior foreign ministry official Ri Kwang Hyok said in an interview in the North Korean capital. "We insist that the responsibility of the us must be discussed too."

The international atomic energy agency raised the stakes in the dispute by referring the crisis to the UN Security Council late yesterday.

The IAEA vote is a major setback to the Stalinist regime, which has been holding out for direct talks with the United States and rejecting moves to internationalise the crisis.

Washington insists the matter is of global concern and has refused negotiations with Pyongyang, saying it must first dismantle its nuclear programmes before talks can take place.


Ri said that while Pyongyang hoped the UN would play fairly, they remained wary that it was under us influence.

"The US may have influence in the UN Security Council. It is one of the US maneuvers. They are playing tricks," he said.

Ri repeated that North Korea wanted the issue solved peacefully but put the ball firmly in the US court. "We should solve this nuclear issue in a peaceful way through negotiations between the DPRK (North Korea) and the US but the US side is opposed to our proposal," he said.

They are trying to solve this issue in a military way.

Bureau Report