DPRK: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) invited the chief US envoy to stalled nuclear talks to visit Pyongyang, but said Washington must prove it is committed to an agreement that offers the DPRK concessions for abandoning its nuclear programme.

"If the US has a true political intention to implement the joint statement, we kindly invite once again the head of the US side's delegation to the talks to visit Pyongyang and directly explain it to us," the DPRK's official KCNA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying yesterday.

Christopher Hill, the chief US envoy to nuclear talks among the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK), China, Japan, and Russia, has said he is willing to directly meet DPRK officials within the context of the six-party nuclear forum.

He has also previously indicated a desire to meet DPRK leader Kim Jong-il and has not ruled out a trip to the DPRK.

The DPRK has refused to return to the talks since the last round in November because of a US crackdown on firms suspected of aiding Pyongyang in illicit financial activities.

"The US will never be able to find a way of solving the issue if it is so reluctant to sit with the party directly concerned with the issue, while expressing its intention to seek a negotiated settlement of such crucial issue as the nuclear issue," KCNA said.

The US State Department did not immediately have comment on the invitation.

In September 2005, the six countries reached a joint statement in which Pyongyang pledged to scrap its nuclear weapons programmes in exchange for aid, security assurances and greater diplomatic recognition.

Careful timing

The DPRK has long sought two-way talks with the United States outside the six-party process.

An analyst saw Pyongyang's invitation as a skilfully timed overture to Washington with the belief that, under an embattled President George W. Bush and on the heels of a fresh US offer of nuclear talks with Iran, its chances of direct talks are better than ever.

"North Korea (the DPRK) may just well be thinking, since Bush is in trouble, it could work," said Park Young-ho, an expert on DPRK at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.

Shortly after the nuclear deal was reached in September, ROK media reported Hill was considering a visit, with officials in Seoul saying a trip to Pyongyang could help the nuclear discussions.

If Hill were to go to Pyongyang, it would be the highest-level US visit to the DPRK since October 2002, when then State Department envoy James Kelly confronted Pyongyang with evidence of it having a covert uranium enrichment programme.

DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun met both Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters yesterday.

"Paek Nam-sun explained the DPRK's thoughts and attitude in pushing for a resumption of Six-Party Talks," Liu said. "He also repeated that the DPRK's ultimate aim is the de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Source: China Daily