On January 10, 2003 (December 8, 2002 in the lunar calendar), North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. On January 10, 2003, the North Korean government suddenly issued a statement saying that because the United States continued its hostile policy against North Korea and "instigated" the International Atomic Energy Agency to pass a resolution that threatened North Korea's national sovereignty and dignity, North Korea must withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The announcement of withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons means that North Korea will no longer be bound by this international convention after 3 months. However, the North Korean side also expressed its intention to develop nuclear weapons, and later said that as long as the United States abandons its hostile policy against North Korea and removes the nuclear threat against North Korea, North Korea can prove to the international community that it has not developed and manufactured nuclear weapons. The statement also sharply condemned the International Atomic Energy Agency, calling it a "tool for the United States to pursue its hostile policy toward North Korea." However, the statement concluded by emphasizing that North Korea had no intention of building nuclear weapons and that its nuclear activities at this stage were limited to peaceful uses, such as power generation. The Korean Central News Agency reported shortly after transmitting the statement that if the United States changed its hostile policy toward North Korea, dropped its nuclear threat against North Korea and resumed providing North Korea with heavy oil, North Korea would reconsider its decision to withdraw from the treaty and could prove to the United States through other means that North Korea does not have nuclear weapons.