DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman Blames U.S. for Posing Nuclear Threat to DPRK

Pyongyang, October 23 (KCNA) -- The DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman gave a statement on Wednesday in connection with the fact that the U.S. is pushing the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which entered the phase of detente, back to the state of tensions and confrontation.
    The statement said that the ever-mounting nuclear threat and blackmail by the U.S. and its moves for making preparations for a war of aggression are a serious encroachment upon the sovereignty and right to existence of the DPRK, and a wanton violation of the DPRK-U.S. agreements and September 19 joint statement in which Washington gave "assurances" not to use force against the DPRK including nuclear weapons nor pose any threats to it with those forces.
    It went on:
    This notwithstanding, the U.S. is trying to make the public convince that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is precisely the DPRK's dismantlement of nuclear program, while making sophism that the restart of the nuclear facilities in Nyongbyon are a violation of international obligation and commitments, if it is true. This is aimed to cover up its crimes and shift the responsibility on to the DPRK.
    The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the invariable aim of the policy of the DPRK government, does not mean the unilateral nuclear dismantlement on the part of the DPRK side. This is the process of making the peninsula a nuclear-free zone on the basis of completely removing the substantial nuclear threats posed to the peninsula from outside on the principle of simultaneous actions.
    Action for action remains a basic principle for finding a solution to the nuclear issue on the peninsula and the DPRK will, therefore, not unilaterally move first.
    At present there exist only physical moves on the peninsula where there are neither peace nor stability nor dialogue. This is attributable to the U.S. nuclear threat and blackmail and sanctions against the DPRK.
    Increasing nuclear threat from outside will only compel the DPRK to bolster up its nuclear deterrent to cope with this. It will not be bound to anything in doing so.
    The DPRK stands for peace and stability and demands the U.S. roll back its hostile policy towards the former but will never beg the latter to do so.
    The DPRK will dynamically advance towards a final victory, invariably keeping to the road of independence, Songun and socialism no matter how Washington behaves. -0-