A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Friday that the US terming of the DPRK as the "an outpost of tyranny" constituted the "biggest hurdle" in the way of resuming the six-party talks.

He told the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that if the United States truly wants a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, it should make a bold decision to withdraw that remarks.

The spokesman said the DPRK has noticed that US President George W. Bush called the top DPRK leader Mr. Kim Jong-il at a press conference held in the White House on Tuesday.

"We take note of this. We keep a tab on a string of vituperation let loose by high-ranking officials of the US administration against the DPRK even some days ago," he said.

"If Bush's remarks put an end to the scramble between the hawkish group and the moderate group in the US, which has thrown the Korean policy into a state of confusion, it would help create an atmosphere for the six-party talks," the spokesman said.

"We will closely follow if President Bush's remarks would not change," he added.

Source: Xinhua