North Korea has issued a demand for the United States to treat it as a nuclear power awhile accusing Washington of hypocrisy for overlooking Israel's presumed possession of nuclear weapons.
An editorial published Sunday in the official newspaper Rodong Sinmun said the resolution of the nuclear standoff will be possible only when the United States gives up its unfair and prejudiced double standard.
North Korea says it wants to be treated like Israel, a country widely believed to have nuclear weapons without having signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
North Korea's statement comes as the six party talks, including both Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the United States, on Pyongyang's nuclear program are about to resume. While no date has been set, the talks are expected to begin in November.
Some information for this report provided by AP.