North Korea has entered the final phase of uranium enrichment, the North’s state media are reported as saying by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.“Uranium enrichment tests have been successfully carried out and that process is in the concluding stage,” state media were quoted as saying.
If confirmed, the move would be in defiance of international pressure for the North to abandon its nuclear work.
The UN passed tougher sanctions after a nuclear test by Pyongyang in May.
Reuters news agency quoted the North’s KCNA news agency as saying Pyongyang was now ready “for both sanctions and dialogue”.
South Korea’s defence minister had warned in June that the North was going ahead with plans to enrich uranium, a step towards making nuclear weapons.