NORTH KOREA: North Korea said yesterday it would not re-enter talks aimed at defusing nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula until US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice stopped labelling it a "tyranny".
"It is quite illogical for the US to intend to negotiate with the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) without retracting its remarks listing its dialogue partner as an outpost of tyranny," a spokesman for the foreign ministry said.
This marks the latest chapter in an increasingly knotty diplomatic row that has seen Pyongyang crank up tensions in East Asia by declaring it had nuclear weapons. This week it threatened to increase its nuclear arsenal to keep a balance of power in the region.
"She can make nothing but such outcries, as she is no more than an official of the most tyrannical dictatorial state in the world," the spokesman said in the statement.
Dr Rice is on a six-country tour of Asia that began on Tuesday. Dealing with the North's nuclear ambitions is a major focus point of her tour, her first as secretary of state. She has refused to withdraw her remark as she says it reflects the truth about the communist country.
The North Korean spokesman described Dr Rice as reckless, "bereft of any political logic" and someone Pyongyang could not deal with. "It is inconceivable for the DPRK to go out for the talks before it is de-listed as an outpost of tyranny," yesterday's ministry statement said. "The US had better behave realistically and wisely if it truly wishes to have the six-party talks."
Taking part in the talks in Beijing are the US, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea. The negotiations are seeking to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear capability.
So far three rounds of talks have failed and a fourth, scheduled for last September, was cancelled when North Korea refused to attend. Nuclear experts believe Pyongyang has possibly eight nuclear weapons.
Analysts are now closely watching to see what happens when Dr Rice visits China, which is Pyongyang's only significant ally, and Japan.
Earlier this week, the top US negotiator to the six-party talks said the discussions must be accelerated or other ways for managing the North's nuclear programmes must be considered.
The North has been angered by the annual military drill conducted jointly by the US and South Korean military, which took place this week, particularly the docking of the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk at the South Korean port of Pusan.
Calling for the Kitty Hawk to be removed, the North Koreans described the drill as "nuclear war exercises".
"It would be well advised to withdraw the carrier flotilla from South Korea at once, give up the projected war manoeuvres targeted against the DPRK and pull out its aggression forces at an early date, pondering over the serious consequences to be entailed by its reckless and dangerous war provocation moves against the DPRK," a spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland said.
Dr Rice said the US continues to believe that the nuclear standoff should be solved through the six-nation disarmament talks and will refuse the North's repeated demands for direct talks with Washington.