North Korea, which was condemned in a statement by the United Nations Security Council's president for its April 5 launch of a long-range rocket, has taken a provocative attitude of late. It has announced its withdrawal from the six-party talks for the denuclearization of the country and kicked out International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring officials as well as threatened to restart plutonium production at its Yongbyon nuclear complex and to carry out its second explosion of a nuclear device.
An unconfirmed newspaper report says activity of personnel and vehicles at the site where North Korea carried out its first nuclear test, in October 2006, has become brisk again.
Recently Mr. Stephen W. Bosworth, the U.S. special envoy, visited China, South Korea and Japan, and made it clear that the United States seeks to "engage both multilaterally and bilaterally with North Korea." Despite his statement, North Korea said it will "bolster its nuclear deterrent." It also accused the U.S. administration of President Barack Obama of maintaining a hostile policy toward North Korea.