N. Korea balks at demands it give up nuclear program

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Blaming the United States for pushing it into a corner, North Korea rejected demands 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 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 its 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.

Still, officials said talks would continue as scheduled Wednesday.

In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell warned that North Korea faces a grim economic future unless it complies with growing international demands to surrender the nuclear program.

"No North Korean child can eat enriched uranium," Powell told a news conference. "It is fool's gold for North Korea."

Since the North acknowledged its nuclear arms program this month, Japan has insisted scrapping it was a precondition for normalization between the longtime rivals.