N. Korea demands cancelation of Nuclear Security Summit

The biennial summit, to be held March 31 to April 1 with dozens of world leaders in attendance, "will leave a blot on history as the most shameful international conference," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

"This is nothing but the last-ditch effort to deter the DPRK from bolstering up its nuclear deterrent for self-defense at any cost," it said, using an acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the country's official name.

"The U.S. should not waste time by holding a futile confab against the DPRK but seek such realistic solution as rolling back its hostile policy toward the latter."

The two-day gathering, to be held for a fourth time since 2010, will bring together U.S. President Barack Obama, South Korean President Park Guen Hye, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other leaders to discuss issues relating to the security of nuclear materials and the threat of nuclear terrorism.

KCNA said the United States and South Korea "are going to use the above-said summit as a means for ratcheting up the sanctions against the DPRK, finding fault with its legitimate access to nuclear weapons."

"It is ridiculous for the U.S. and its followers to hold such nonsensical summit against the DPRK instead of paying heed to the just demand for boldly recognizing it as a nuclear power and opting for dialogue with it," it said, adding, "This is an unpardonable criminal act."

The article said that North Korea's nuclear force "will steadily grow at the speed desired by the Workers' Party of Korea according to the goal set by it as long as the U.S. hostile policy towards it persists."

Earlier this month, KCNA carried North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's remarks that "a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability."

His remarks came amid heightened tensions following North Korea's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and its launch of a long-range rocket about a month later, which led the U.N. Security Council to earlier this month approve tougher sanctions on the country for its continued pursuit of nuclear and missile programs.

Source: Kyodo