Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 10, 2003
S.Korea Regrets at DPRK's Withdrawal from NPT
South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun expressed deep regret at the decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), the Yonhap news agency quoted his spokesman as saying on Friday.
South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun expressed deep regret at the decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), the Yonhap news agency quoted his spokesman as saying on Friday.
The spokesman for Roh, Lee Nak-yon, said the president-elect had urged the DPRK to give up its decision to resume nuclear facility operations and to prevent further escalation of the nuclear crisis.
The DPRK declared on Friday that it was withdrawing from the NPT, but said it had no plans to develop nuclear weapons.
In response to the DPRK's withdrawal from the NPT, South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung pointed out that the move had deteriorated the nuclear crisis, which erupted in October last year.
"The North's withdrawal from the NPT brought the situation on the Korean Peninsula from bad to worse by one step," Kim said during a forum with leaders of the women's group.
"We have to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. For this purpose, we have to be patient and persistent in achieving a peaceful solution," he added.
The Millennium Democratic Party, to which Roh belongs, also issued a statement on Friday, urging dialogue on the escalated crisis.
"The South Korean government immediately needs to learn what the North wants and should seek a solution through close discussions with the United States, Japan, China, Russia and the European Union," said the statement.