North Korea not ready to give up nuclear programme: South Korea

North Korea is making peace overtures because sanctions are biting harder than expected but there are no signs it is willing to give up nuclear weapons, South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak said Tuesday. Lee said nations negotiating with the North must stay united to thwart its attempts to win tacit acceptance as a nuclear-armed nation. As a result of North Korea facing such a crisis, it is taking somewhat reconciliatory gestures toward the United States and South Korea to avoid the situation. But it is still not showing any sincerity or signs that it will give up its nuclear ambitions, Lee said. South Korean President said the North's strategy of continuing nuclear development while improving relations with neighbours was an attempt to regain access to international assistance and secure tacit approval for its nuclear programmes.