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N. Korea won't halt nuclear plan©Associated PressOctober 30, 2002 KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Blaming the United States for pushing it into a corner, North Korea rejected demands that it give up its nuclear weapons program during an acrimonious opening round of talks Tuesday with Japan on establishing diplomatic ties, Japanese officials said. The talks were the first the two countries have held in two years on establishing ties, and hopes were high North Korea would offer some sort of concession on the nuclear issue and growing outrage in Japan over the kidnapping of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and '80s. But along with ignoring calls to halt its nuclear weapons development, the North strongly rebuffed Japan on the abduction issue, heightening an already emotional tug-of-war between the Asian neighbors. "Not much progress," Japanese delegation chief Katsunari Suzuki said as he returned from the talks. Officials said talks would continue as scheduled today. Since the North acknowledged its nuclear arms program this month, Japan has insisted scrapping it was a precondition for normalization between the longtime rivals. The North rejected calls to give up its nuclear weapons program, the Associated Press reported, citing a senior Japanese delegation official. The North blamed concerns over its nuclear weapons program on the United States, saying the hard-line U.S. stance against it was the root of the problem, the AP said.
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