China proposed Friday that North Korea retain the right to a peaceful nuclear program after abandoning its atomic weapons, but Pyongyang vowed not to give up its atomic program.
"We will never give up our nuclear" program before the U.S. nuclear threat is removed from the Korean peninsula, North Korean spokesman Hyun Hak Bong told reporters, referring to Pyongyang's claims that it needs nuclear arms to defend itself, according to the AP.
"We will just do it our way. For us, we cannot stop our way of peaceful nuclear activities for one minute," Hyun said, reading from a written statement.
The North Korean statement came after China issued a new proposal aimed at breaking a deadlock at the six-nation negotiations that would allow Pyongyang to maintain a nuclear program for peaceful use, according to Russia's chief envoy.
On photo: North Korean spokesman Hyun Hak Bong.
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