North Korea asks US to recognize it as n-state

North Korea on Thursday re-asserted its demand that the US should recognise it as a nuclear state.

In a statement that made no mention of the Republican candidate Donald Trump's electoral victory, the Kim Jong-un regime urged the US to abandon the "failed" policies of President Barack Obama.

"The US should officially recognize North Korea as a de facto nuclear weapons state and follow the same policy towards it as those pursued with other nuclear weapons states," Pyongyang said in an editorial published by the state-run agency KCNA.

It added it had demonstrated the "sanctions slapped by the Obama administration against North Korea proved unworkable and it is impossible to force it to dismantle its nukes," Efe news reported.

However, neither the editorial nor other articles in North Korea's state-run media made any mention of US President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to modify US policy towards North Korea.

During his campaign, Trump said he would be willing to invite Kim Jong-un to the White House, in contrast to the tough stance adopted by the Obama administration that demands North Korea take a firm step towards denuclearisation before initiating talks.

Trump also said China must resolve the North Korean nuclear problem, suggested the possibility of reducing US military influence in the region, and said South Korea and Japan should develop their own nuclear weapons to counter the threat from Pyongyang.

Until now, the US has adopted a policy of tough economic and trade sanctions against North Korea to choke its economy and force it to abandon its nuclear programme.

However, despite the sanctions, North Korea has continued developing its nuclear program and conducted its fifth nuclear test in September.

--IANS

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