N.K. leader warns world will see new strategic weapon but leaves room for talks with U.S.

SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the communist nation will show off a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, accusing the United States of stalling for time for its own political interests, but he stopped short of abandoning negotiations altogether.

Kim also said during a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party that how much the North will bolster its "nuclear deterrent" will depend on the U.S. attitude, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

"Saying that we should more actively push forward the project for developing strategic weapons, he confirmed that the world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future," the KCNA said.

Kim also said that the North "can not give up the security of our future just for the visible economic results and happiness and comfort in reality now that hostile acts and nuclear threat against us are increasing," according to the KCNA.

The North has threatened to take a "new way" if Washington fails to offer concessions in their denuclearization talks before the end of last year, hinting that Pyongyang would end diplomacy and revert to provocative acts.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
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