No talks without 'tyranny' retraction: North Korea

No talks without 'tyranny' retraction: North Korea

Jack Kim, Reuters/Seoul

North Korea ruled out on Wednesday a return to stalled six-way
talks on its nuclear weapons programs unless the United States
retracted its labeling of Pyongyang as an "outpost of tyranny".

A spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry also said
recent comments by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in
interviews with Reuters and the Washington Times -- in which she
refused to apologize for giving the North the tyranny tag --
indicated the United States did not want to hold talks.

"It is quite illogical for the U.S. to intend to negotiate
with the DPRK without retracting its remarks listing its dialogue
partner as an outpost of tyranny," the spokesman said in comments
published by the North's official KCNA news agency.

DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea.

"This is, in the final analysis, little short of indicating it
will not to hold the six-party talks. She can make nothing but
such outcries as she is no more than an official of the most
tyrannical dictatorial state in the world," he added.

Rice began a six-country Asian tour on Tuesday and will visit
Seoul at the weekend. North Korea's nuclear ambitions are a major
focus of her visit to Asia as secretary of state.

The ministry spokesman described Rice as reckless, "bereft of
any political logic" and someone Pyongyang could not deal with.

North Korea said on Tuesday it might increase its declared
nuclear arsenal to maintain a balance of power in East Asia. The
United States, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea are seeking
to persuade the North to give up its nuclear capability but talks
have stalled.

On Wednesday, it said Rice's comments further justified a
stronger nuclear arsenal for self defense. Proliferation experts
believe the North may have one or two nuclear weapons, and
possibly as many as eight or more.

"It is inconceivable for the DPRK to go out for the talks
before it is delisted as an outpost of tyranny," Wednesday's
ministry statement said. "The U.S. had better behave
realistically and wisely if it truly wishes to have the six-party
talks," KCNA said.

It warned against a U.S. attempt to drive a wedge through
regional powers -- without specifying the countries -- in an
attempt to coax the North back to the talks, saying "no pressure
can ever work on the DPRK." Rice is also scheduled to visit China
-- the North's main benefactor and sole remaining key ally -- and
Japan.

Earlier this week, the top U.S. negotiator to the six-party
talks said the discussions must be accelerated or other ways for
managing the North's nuclear programs must be considered.

The threat to boost its nuclear arsenal came in the North's
typical criticism of an annual military drill conducted jointly
by the U.S. and South Korean military.

The North's official news media reported with irritation, in
separate stories, the arrival of the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty
Hawk at a South Korean port city of Pusan on Monday for the
drills and called for its immediate removal.

The drills use computer-simulated models to test the two
allies' defense readiness in the face of an attack from the
communist North.

North Korea called the drills "nuclear war exercises" and said
its buildup of nuclear weapons was necessary as self defense. The
exercises run from Saturday to March 25 this year.