North Korea declares itself a nuclear power

NORTH KOREA defiantly declared itself a nuclear power yesterday at the start of the first full international arms talks since its atomic test and threatened to increase its arsenal if its demands were not met.

The North said the United Nations must lift the sanctions imposed on the communist nation for its October 9 nuclear test. It also said the United States must remove the financial restrictions that led the North to break off the six-nation negotiations 13 months ago.

The North said that now that it is a nuclear power, it should be treated on equal footing with the US. It warned that if its demands were not met, it would increase its arsenal, according to the summary.