North Korea rejects Iran-style nuclear deal, citing threats

SEOUL, July 21 (UPI) -- North Korea officially rejected an Iran-style nuclear deal on Tuesday citing U.S. threats, but viewed the development as a positive for Tehran.

A spokesman for North Korea's Foreign Ministry made the remarks on state television KCNA on Tuesday, according to South Korean newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun. It is the first official statement from Pyongyang on the historic deal that is to limit Iran's nuclear capabilities.

North Korea said it is "different from Iran" because unlike Iran its nuclear weapons program is "not up for bargain."

"We do not have any interest at all on dialogue for unilaterally freezing or giving up our nukes," Pyongyang's spokesman said on KCNA, The Guardian reported.

"We are clearly a nuclear power, and nuclear powers have their own interests."

North Korea's refusal to give up its nuclear weapons program led to the suspension of the six-party talks on denuclearization in 2009, and Pyongyang has become increasingly isolated.

But North Korea views the Iran nuclear deal as a positive for Tehran, the spokesman said on Tuesday.

Iran, he said, made a long-term effort to "achieve results." Iran's sovereign right to nuclear activities has been recognized, but the state also wanted to bring an end to economic sanctions imposed upon the state, according to Pyongyang.

"We are a nuclear state, in name and in reality, and therefore have an understanding of other nuclear states," the spokesman said, adding North Korea's nuclear weapons are "not up for bargain."

North Korea said Washington has threatened Pyongyang for half a century with nuclear weapons, and its own program is needed for its "independence and survival."