NORTH KOREA: North Korea has accused the United States of taking an "arrogant and hig-handed" attitude during talks last week and said Washington still considered the country an enemy.
The Korean Central News Agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying the US wanted to bring North Korea to its knees. He said the US envoy and US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Mr James Kelly, insisted North Korea could only regulate relations with Japan and the US by taking unilateral action to resolve arms proliferation issues and human rights.
"The US-raised 'issues of concern' are nothing but a product of its hostile policy towards the DPRK [North Korea\]," the agency reported. "The special envoy's explanation made it clear that the Bush administration is pursuing not a policy of dialogue but a hardline policy of hostility to bring the DPRK to its knees by force and high-handed practice."
Mr Kelly visited North Korea for three days last week and said he had delivered a set of tough conditions for improved ties in "frank" and useful" talks.
US fears about North Korea's development of missiles and weapons of mass destruction have frozen ties with the reclusive Stalinist regime since President Bush took office in January 2001. Mr Kelly said he offered the North the reward of better relations in return for progress on the key issues.
His visit represented the highest level of sustained talks between Pyongyang and Washington since the former secretary of state, Ms Madeleine Albright, visited Pyongyang two years ago.
President Bush reversed reconciliation efforts with the North when he took office and earlier this year placed North Korea on the same level as Iraq and Iran as part of an "axis of evil".
The foreign ministry said Mr Kelly had "confirmed that the Bush administration refuses to delist the DPRK as a member of the 'axis of evil' and a target of 'its pre-emptive nuclear attack'. Such unchanged policy of the US compels the DPRK to take all necessary counter-measures." - (AFP)