ANALYST VIEW-North Korea says to re-start nuclear arms plant

SEOUL, April 14 (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday it was no longer bound by an international nuclear disarmament deal and would re-start its plant that makes arms-grade plutonium after the U.N. chastised it for launching a long-range rocket.

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For a text of the English-language statement issued by North Korea's foreign ministry, double-click [ID:nSEO80167] ------------------------------------------------------------

COMMENTARY:

TIM CONDON, ECONOMIST AT ING FINANCIAL MARKETS, SINGAPORE:

"Market players have come to view belligerent North Korean statements as bargaining ploys that are not to be taken at face value, which is how I interpret the lack of a reaction in financial markets to the news."

ZHANG LIANGUI, EXPERT ON NORTH KOREA AT THE CENTRAL PARTY SCHOOL IN BEIJING:

"North Korea has always used the six-party talks as a tool for delay. I don't think that North Korea has ever really abandoned its goal of developing nuclear weapons, and this statement lays that bare.

"In a sense, this may be a good thing, because it could help end the delay and disunity and put a stop to illusions about the six-party talks.

"The Security Council statement may have triggered North Korea's threats, but that was really only an excuse. North Korea has never taken the talks seriously, and the Security Council statement has given them the excuse they wanted to pull out...

"It's made clear the essence of the North Korea nuclear issue, which is simply that North Korea wants a nuclear weapons capability.... The international community has been so reactive and divided and North Korea has taken advantage of that once again."

SHI YINHONG, REGIONAL SECURITY EXPERT AT RENMIN UNIVERSITY IN BEIJING:.

"This is a response to the U.N. Security Council statement, including to China....North Korea's statements are always a mixture of bluff and real threats, but I think the threats are more real this time, and I think they'll continue for the next few months at least."

Shi said North Korea's actions were being driven by domestic imperatives, and would not be easily shaped by international pressure.

"The rocket launch and all of this is for domestic consumption. North Korea is entering a phase where the succession issue is crucial, and that will dominate their behaviour....They're likely to ignore external pressure." LEE JONG-WON, KOREA EXPERT AT TOKYO'S RIKKYO UNIVERSITY:

"This is in line with North Korea's statement (of what it would do). They had said that if there was a U.N. resolution, the six-way talks would be finished and de-nuclearisation invalidated. Now they are trying to use the 'nuclear card' to put pressure on the United States and the Obama administration to resume direct negotiations"

"Their objective is to improve ties with the United States. Their methods are military but their objectives are political and diplomatic. They are not aiming at war, but at better relations. These are the only methods they have."

KIM TAE-WOO, NUCLEAR EXPERT, KOREA INSTITUTE FOR DEFENCE ANALYSIS, SEOUL:

"This is a much stronger response than I had expected when taking into account that the UNSC's final choice turned out to be the weakest among the possible choices.

"I think much still depends on U.S.-North Korean bilateral dialogue, including whether the six-party talks are really to die. In 1993, the situation was much more serious but eventually North Korea and the United States started direct talks and opened a dialogue phase."