U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday reiterated US call for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to return to the six-party talks.

"It is our hope that the North Koreans will come back and come back seriously," Rice told the House of Representatives International Relations Committee.

The six-party talks, launched in 2003, aims at solving nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula. It involves the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan and Russia.

The DPRK has said that it would not return to the six-party talks unless the United States lifts the sanctions imposed on the country.

Source: Xinhua