North Korea - nuclear stand-off

N Korea says it has weapons-grade plutonium

Article published on the 2009-11-03 Latest update 2009-11-03 13:34 TU

A plutonium pellet glows under its own light
(Photo: US Department of Energy)

North Korea says it has produced more plutonium for its atomic weapons programme. The announcement comes a day after the communist state threatened to "go its own way" unless Washington agrees to direct talks on the nuclear stand-off.

The official Korean Central News Agency said North Korea has "successfully completed reprocessing 8,000 spent fuel rods" at its Yongbyon nuclear complex”.

"Noticeable successes have been made in turning the extracted plutonium weapon-grade for the purpose of bolstering up the nuclear deterrent.”

The comments indicated growing impatience at Washington's delay in accepting Pyongyang's offer of high-level bilateral talks.

On Monday its foreign ministry pressed the United States to agree to such talks, and said these could lead to a resumption of stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament negotiations.

Experts believe the 8,000 spent reactor fuel rods could produce enough plutonium for one or two nuclear bombs, in addition to the North's current stockpile, which could perhaps be used to create six to eight weapons.

The North quit the six-party talks in April after the United Nations censured its long-range rocket launch, and vowed to restart the nuclear programme, which it shut down under a 2007 six-party pact.

It conducted an atomic weapons test in May, the second since 2006.

In September the North also said it was in the final stages of an experimental highly enriched uranium programme -- a second way to make atomic weapons.