N Korea's nuclear plans: How should the world react?

North Korea has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove security seals and take away surveillance cameras from a nuclear power station.

The request comes a day after the secretive state announced it was reactivating the plant at Yongbyon, mothballed under a 1994 agreement with the United States.

The country said it needed nuclear power from the plant to make up for the electricity shortfall caused by the ending of US heavy oil shipments.

However, the US and its regional allies - South Korea and Japan - are worried that the plant could also be used as part of a wider nuclear weapons programme.

The dispute is the second downturn in US-North Korean relations this week, after US military temporarily seized a ship carrying North Korean Scud missiles bound for Yemen.

What do you think about North Korea's nuclear capability? How should the world react?

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This Talking Point has now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

World democracies must be proactive

Michael Boh, Los Angeles, CA USA

Aggressive military dictatorships should not be allowed to build and sell nuclear weapons. World democracies must be proactive and remove future threats.
Michael Boh, Los Angeles, CA USA

Please note that it is the INTERNATIONAL Atomic Energy Agency that has placed surveillance cameras and seals on the nuclear plant, not the US government and it was not done by force. North Korea agreed to stop developing nuclear weapons in exchange for oil, which THEY have backed out of. They have a record of aggression and untrustworthiness with their neighbours.
Lesli, South Korea

The people of North Korea ("NK") are hungry and cold in this bitter cold winter. They are desperate for assistance. It's very clear these so-called "threats" are merely calls for attention and help. If NK wanted to harm its neighbours or the West (though I can't see any reason) they would have done it quietly and not announcing it to the world.
SKW, Malaysia

Is this the square root of paranoia?

Blanshard Meheux, Sierra Leone

If America happens to have the best equipped army in the world, together with the best trained soldiers, why are they so scared of the small stuff that these little guys have? Is this a case of conscience kicking in, or just the square root of paranoia?
Blanshard Meheux, Sierra Leone

In fact, the North Koreans are just trying to scare the world about their nuclear power. They don't even have the money to maintain the plants! So we need not worry.
Outsider, China

North Korea has a proven track record of selling advanced weaponry to nations hostile to the West. I believe that it is North Korea's intention to begin producing nuclear devices and sell them on the open market to the highest bidder. They must be deterred.
Skip, USA

Let's be truthful here. Which country has been involved in more foreign wars in the past 10 years than any other? Which country has North Korea ever attacked? The US has given itself the right to choose who has nuclear weapons or not because they would like to threaten all these countries who do not have nuclear weapons with destruction if they fail to follow US policy.
Sam Kanda, USA

The world should react with real uncertainty because the US has yet to take a firm stance on what they will do except yell at North Korea like little kids running around the house with mud on their shoes. Are we truly fair people? If you are considering war with Iraq for "weapons of mass destruction" then shouldn't the US be talking war with North Korea? We shall see if the US will act in a consistent manner.
Mohamed Gamal-Eldin, USA

We should not worry about North Korea's nuclear plans

Peter Finch, England

No, we should not worry about North Korea's nuclear plans. I cannot justify anyone needing nuclear weapons, but if the US, UK, France, Russia, etc all have them, how can these countries morally argue that anyone else not in their 'club' is not allowed them?
Peter Finch, England

What does it say about Kim Jong-il's intentions that he asked IAEA to open the seals? If he was not using this as a diplomatic ploy, couldn't he send his own people to remove the seals?
Dan, USA

If the UK and USA to name but two, have nuclear weapons, why not North Korea? The US should realise they cannot dominate the world. They are not the UN, they can not tell the rest of the world what to do.
SM, UK

The world should react with understanding. The North Koreans are probably more fearful of us, and our huge array of weapons of mass destruction trained on them. Could it not be argued that they reserve the right to a weapons programme in order to perfect a deterrent to attack from the West?
Andy, UK