MOSCOW, Dec 7: North Korea believes Washington has atomic weapons deployed in South Korea and it will not halt its nuclear programme as long as this threat persists, Itar-Tass news agency quoted a North Korean source as saying on Thursday.

“(North Korea) has practically no doubts that there are US nuclear weapons in the south of the Korean Peninsula,” the source told Tass. “North Korea is forced, in the interests of self-defence, to enhance its nuclear capability.”

“Without eliminating the threat from the United States and without relevant guarantees being offered, Pyongyang will not agree to give up its right to possess a defensive nuclear shield whatever the pressure from outside.”

North Korea drew international condemnation when it conducted a nuclear test on Oct 9, 2006, but it has since agreed to return to six-party disarmament talks it had boycotted for a year.

Despite a flurry of diplomacy, no date has been set for the talks, which involve the two Koreas, the US, China, Japan and Russia.

The source did not link Pyongyang's allegations about a US nuclear weapon directly to the failure to restart the talks. But the source underlined North Korea's conditions for their resumption.

“The North Korean side is ready in principle for such talks, but because of US position the new round is being postponed,” he said.

“Until the atmosphere of pressure eases and until all our financial operations blocked by Washington are released, we will not join the six-way talks,” the source added.

Russian news agencies are among the few media outlets which have regular access to official circles in reclusive North Korea.—Reuters