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North Korea's Pyongyang Radio said Sunday the country "has come to have nuclear and other strong military weapons to deal with increased nuclear threats by the U.S. imperialists," according to the Yonhap news agency which monitors North Korean broadcasts.
It was unclear, however, whether the report referred to a plutonium- or uranium-based weapon.
South Korean officials Monday reacted to the reports with skepticism, saying such radio reports are usually followed up with an official statement and as yet no such statement has been issued.
Pyongyang observers are now waiting to see if the report is a deliberate tactic by the North, or simply a mistake by the state broadcaster.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Introduction
North Korea's Pyongyang Radio said Sunday the country "has come to have nuclear and other strong military weapons to deal with increased nuclear threats by the U.S. imperialists," according to the Yonhap news agency which monitors North Korean broadcasts.
It was unclear, however, whether the report referred to a plutonium- or uranium-based weapon.
South Korean officials Monday reacted to the reports with skepticism, saying such radio reports are usually followed up with an official statement and as yet no such statement has been issued.
Pyongyang observers are now waiting to see if the report is a deliberate tactic by the North, or simply a mistake by the state broadcaster.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
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Development
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
Yonhap said the language -- which appeared to go further than Pyongyang's previous claims to "be entitled to have nuclear weapons" -- may have been deliberately misleading.
Analysts say Pyongyang could have deliberately broadcast this message -- whether it is true or not --in an attempt to gauge the extent of international reaction to such news .
U.S. administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, have said Washington believes Pyongyang has enough plutonium to make one or two weapons, but it does not know whether North Korea has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.
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