The United States said on Friday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should dismantle its nuclear weapons program first and then it will possibly discuss the provision of light-water reactor to the DPRK.

"North Korea must dismantle their nuclear weapons programs, they must be back in the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and they must have full IAEA safeguards," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing.

Christopher Hill, US chief negotiator at the six-party talks, made the same demand at a briefing on Tuesday when he said the DPRK must abandon its weapons, abandon all its existing nuclear programs and get itself back into the NPT.

"And only after that and at an appropriate time, we will consider having the discussion about the subject of the provision of a light-water reactor," Hill said.

The DPRK has insisted in the six-party talks that it will not dismantle its nuclear weapons program until the United States gives it civilian nuclear reactors.

Source: Xinhua