N Korea backs nuclear drive

Recent six-nation talks failed to resolve the nuclear stand-off

North Korea's parliament has endorsed a government decision to increase the country's drive for nuclear weapons.

The Supreme People's Assembly agreed with a foreign ministry statement at the weekend that Pyongyang had no other option but to increase its nuclear deterrent force, according to the official KCNA news agency.

The parliament also "considered as just" the government's announcement that it had no further interest in talks on its nuclear programme, the agency said.

Also on Wednesday, the North Korean parliament re-elected the head of state, Kim Jong-il, to the key post of chief of defence.

The move - which was widely expected - was said by KCNA to underscore North Korea's determination to thwart outside attempts to change its communist system.

During Wednesday's parliament session, the assembly said it would take "relevant measures" to support the government's decision to boost its atomic deterrent force.

The 687-member legislative body said the outcome of the Beijing talks last week proved that Washington did not want to co-exist peacefully with Pyongyang.

The government's call for a nuclear build-up was therefore "a just self-defensive means to repel the US pre-emptive nuclear attacks," KCNA said.

The six-nation Beijing talks ended without substantive agreement, with neither the Washington nor Pyongyang backing down from their tough opposing positions.

North Korea wants the US to pledge not to attack it, and to help it economically, but Washington has repeatedly said that North Korea must make the first move by dismantling its nuclear programme.

North Korea's latest comments, while backing the foreign ministry's statement on Saturday, seem to contradict another statement on Monday - also transmitted via KCNA - which said that Pyongyang still wanted to resolve the nuclear issue through dialogue.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jae-sup said on Wednesday: "We should not be swayed by sporadic comments coming out, but focus on the bigger picture."

South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan is currently in Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, which are expected to focus on the next steps needed to break the nuclear impasse.

Celebration for Kim Jong-il

The re-election of Kim Jong-il to North Korea's top post, head of the national defence commission, triggered nationwide celebrations on Wednesday, according to the country's media.

"This is an expression of the absolute support and trust of all the servicemen and the people in him," KCNA said.

"Upon hearing the happy news, the entire Korean people - including servicemen, old men and women and children - are coming out of their houses and working sites and dancing with bunches of flowers in their hands," the news agency reported.

Power in North Korea resides mainly with the Korean Workers' Party, of which Kim is secretary-general, and the military elite, ruled by the national defence commission.