WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Xinhuanet)-- The United States reacted cautiously Friday to the report that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is ready to rejoin the six-party talks designated to solve nuclear issues on the Korean peninsular.

    US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that Congressman Curt Weldon, who headed the US delegation, had briefed US embassy officials in Seoul that the DPRK is ready to rejoin the talks, "perhaps soon."

    "We hope that North Korean statements do presage a return to the talks," Boucher said, noting Washington will be consulting over the matter with other parties to the talks.

    Boucher said that the US has put a comprehensive proposal on the table that addresses the issues of concern to the DPRK as well as those to the international community.

    "We are looking for a response to that proposal. That was pretty much what we were looking for from the next round of talks," Boucher said, noting that Washington is also prepared to discuss ideas put forth by Pyongyang.

    However, he added that "Any discussions in the talks, we maintain, must address the full range of North Korea's nuclear programs, including its uranium enrichment program."

    A six-member US congressional delegation headed by Weldon, vice-chairman of the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representative, visited Pyongyang earlier this week.

    Weldon told reporters in Seoul Friday that Pyongyang could return to the negotiating table "in a matter of weeks."

    The DPRK said Friday it would opt for finding a final solution to all outstanding issues, including the resumption of six-party talks, if the United States drops its hostility toward Pyongyang.

    By June 2004, the DPRK attended three rounds of talks hosted by China with the participation of the US, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Russia. It shunned a fourth round scheduled for September, accusing the US of taking "hostile" policies toward Pyongyang. Enditem