North Korea has completed the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods to extract weapons-grade plutonium, according to its official news agency.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) added that "noticeable successes" had been made in turning the extracted material into weapons grade plutonium.
The statement comes one day after North Korea said it was ready for talks with the US on its nuclear programme.
It also threatened to "go its own way" if Washington refused direct talks.
Eight thousand spent fuel rods had been reprocessed, KCNA said. Analysts say this is enough plutonium to make at least one atomic bomb.
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