North Korea withdraws from global nuclear arms control treaty

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea withdrew from the global nuclear arms control treaty Friday, the communist nation's official news agency said, heightening the crisis over the North's nuclear development plans.

North Korea pledged that despite its withdrawal it would not develop nuclear arms.

"Though we pull out of the (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty), we have no intention of producing nuclear weapons," the Korean Central News Agency reported. "Our nuclear activities at this stage will be confined only to peaceful purposes such as the production of electricity."

North Korea said its withdrawal from the treaty will free it from obligations to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency.

The announcement came as the United States was awaiting a reply from Pyongyang about its decision to open dialogue to seek a peaceful resolution of the country's nuclear weapons development.

The country called the withdrawal "a legitimate self-defensive measure taken against the U.S. moves to stifle" North Korea.

North Korea has repeatedly accused the United States of plotting to invade it, and has said it has the right to develop weapons for its self-defense. However, it has never publicly said that it has a nuclear weapons program.

North Korea joined the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1985 but took steps in 1993 to withdraw from it amid tensions over its suspected nuclear weapons program.

The 1968 treaty is considered a cornerstone in the effort to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

The crisis was defused a year later when North Korea agreed to freeze its facilities at Yongbyon under an energy deal with the United States.

Only four other countries -- Cuba, India, Israel and Pakistan -- are not signatories, though Cuba is a member of a treaty establishing a nuclear-free zone in Latin America.