Thursday, 17 October, 2002, 04:03 GMT 05:03 UK

North Korea has acknowledged that it has a secret nuclear weapons programme, US government officials have reported.

American officials said the North Koreans told a visiting US delegation earlier this month that they no longer felt bound by a 1994 accord, under which they agreed to halt their suspected weapons programme in return for American aid.

Officials said the administration had now suspended its dialogue with North Korea and was consulting Congress and American allies about what to do next.

But US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Washington was seeking a peaceful resolution to the situation and called on the "peace-loving nations in the region to deal effectively with this challenge".

The [South Korean] president views this as a grave matter... it is unacceptable under any circumstances for North Korea to develop nuclear weapons

The Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, called on Pyongyang to "erase nuclear suspicions honestly".

Reclusive North Korea is one of three states dubbed an "axis of evil" by US President George W Bush, along with Iran and Iraq.

However, in recent months there has been a thawing in Pyongyang's dealings with the outside world.

Earlier this month Mr Bush sent Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly to North Korea for security talks.

Evidence

North Korea reportedly confessed to its nuclear programme after being confronted with American documentary "evidence" on the issue by Mr Kelly during his visit.

At first the North Koreans tried to deny the evidence, but eventually "they acknowledged they had a secret nuclear weapons programme involving enriched uranium," one official said.

Propaganda posters showing missiles hitting the US Capitol Relations between the US and North Korea have always been fraught

"By acknowledging that, the agreed framework was essentially nullified," he said, referring to the 1994 Agreed Framework under which in return for halting its weapons programme North Korea was given US assistance in building two light water reactors.

North Korea told US diplomats that it did not consider itself bound by the nuclear agreement any longer, an official said.

US officials say the Bush administration is now consulting with its allies and Congress before deciding what to do in light of the revelation.

"South Korea has been in close consultations with the United States and Japan after being informed about suspected North Korean nuclear development," South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Tae-sik said.

Opening up

After news of the programme was revealed South Korea urged neighbouring North Korea to abide by international anti-nuclear agreements and to try to resolve the issue through dialogue.

"All these issues should be resolved through dialogue and peacefully, and we will continue to strengthen co-operative consultations with the United States and Japan," Mr Lee said.

"The South Korean Government will raise this issue in bilateral South-North dialogue channels," Mr Lee added.

Recently both South Korea and Japan have adopted a policy of engagement with North Korea.

After months of tension the North and South have resumed talks aimed at reconciliation on the peninsula, which was divided at the end of the Korean War.

And last month Junichiro Koizumi became Japan's first prime minister to visit the North.

During his visit North Korea made the startling admission that it had kidnapped a number of Japanese citizens in the past for use in their spy programme.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2002

Answers

Just realized that nowhere in this BBC article does it mention that Clinton negotiated this no-deal. Your legacy is shrinking, Bill.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2002

Didn't we know this, like YEARS ago???

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2002

Well, I think we took it for granted. This article is just telling us that they [N Korea] admit to it openly.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2002