Although North Korea has continued to escalate its dispute with the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency, leading up to its withdrawal on Friday from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a reading of its various statements shows that Pyongyang has always been careful to leave itself the possibility of a reconciliation with Washington and the international community.
On October 25, the week after Washington accused Pyongyang of having a covert uranium-enrichment programme, North Korea issued a statement calling for a non-aggression treaty between itself and the US. North Korea appeared to deny the American charge.
Speaking of American envoy James Kelly, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, the statement said: 'Producing no evidence, he [Kelly] asserted that [North Korea] has been actively engaged in the enriched uranium programme in pursuit of possessing nuclear weapons in violation of the [1994] Agreed Framework.'
Without admitting that it had embarked on a covert nuclear programme, North Korea attempted to justify such behaviour. It accused the US of violating the Agreed Framework first, citing various provisions of the deal signed by the two countries in 1994. It said the US was obliged 'to provide light-water reactors to [North Korea] by 2003 in return for [Pyongyang's] freezing of graphite-moderated reactors and their related facilities', but 'only site preparation was made though eight years have passed'.
Moreover, it said, 'the US is obliged to give formal assurances to [North Korea] against the threat or use of nuclear weapons by the US'. This has not happened, it claims.
On the contrary, it said, the Bush administration had listed North Korea 'as part of the 'axis of evil' and a target of US pre-emptive nuclear strikes. This was a clear declaration of war against [North Korea].'