Seoul, Oct. 26 (Reuters): South Korea announced today it would ban the entry of North Koreans who are part of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme, the first step taken by Seoul to adhere to UN sanctions.

The decision came after North Korea said any action by Seoul under the UN resolution would “drive the inter-Korean relations to a catastrophe” and would be “a grave provocative act” which could lead to war.

President George W. Bush said Pyongyang’s threats were aimed only at dividing the five nations that have been in talks with North Korea on ending its nuclear programme.

“The leader of North Korea likes to threaten,” Bush said yesterday. “What he’s doing is just testing the will of the five countries that are working together to convince him there is a better way forward for his people.”

He also reiterated that the US would keep up diplomatic efforts to end the crisis. But other US officials have not ruled out other options.

Underscoring fears about the North, a South Korean lawmaker, quoting from a defence ministry report, said North Korea might have extracted enough plutonium for up to seven nuclear weapons.