"The United States must ponder over the fatal consequences that might arise from its rash act," the statement said. "If anyone dares to provoke us, we will immediately show him in practice what our bold decision is."

North Korea has denied that it is developing nuclear weapons but has banned inspections of two sites suspected of being nuclear installations. Last month, North Korea backed off from its decision to drop out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, but the issue of site inspections was left unresolved. Further talks on the matter are to begin Wednesday in Geneva, where Washington is expected to press North Korea to accept inspections or face consequences that could include economic sanctions.

The United States has made the return of war dead and the resolution of nuclear issues conditions of improving ties between the two nations. So far, bones said to belong to only 45 of more than 8,000 missing troops have been returned, and United States officials said not all of those remains were human. Japan Accused, Too

North Korea also accused Japan of planning its own nuclear arsenal.

At the meeting of major industrialized nations in Tokyo last week, Japan was the only one to refuse to endorse an indefinite extension of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Japan's objection "revealed the intention of the Japanese Government of arming Japan with nuclear weapons at any cost," said a North Korean Foreign Ministry official quoted by the Korean press agency.