N Korea says IAEA resolution on its nuclear programme 'conspiracy' by US

By BBC Monitoring

North Korea has criticised the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution on Pyongyang's nuclear programme as a "conspiracy between the US and its followers", the official KCNA news agency reported.

At the 67th IAEA General Conference in Austria last week, member states adopted a resolution urging the North Korean regime to suspend its nuclear weapons programme and abide by its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions.

"An anti-DPRK 'resolution' was cooked up again at the 67th session of the IAEA General Conference on September 29 as a result of conspiracy between the US and its followers," a spokesperson for North Korea's Ministry of Nuclear Power Industry said on 2 October. DPRK refers to Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

"We vehemently denounce and reject the abnormal behaviour of the IAEA which has been completely reduced to a reptile organisation that serves the US away from its elementary mission as an international organisation to maintain impartiality," the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, South Korea on 1 October said that the North will never be recognised as a nuclear-weapon state and its pursuit of nuclear weapons will only result in more sanctions.

Source: KCNA website, Pyongyang, in English 0500 gmt 2 Oct 23