SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- South Korean government welcomed the State of the Union address the US President George W. Bush delivered earlier Thursday.

    "We assess President Bush's remarks...as an expression of his intention to resolve the North Korean (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) nuclear issue peacefully and diplomatically through dialogue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Kyu-hyung said in a statement.

    "Now, we believe it is time for North Korea to respond so that the six-party talks can resume at an early date to achieve concrete progress," he said.

    Moreover, Lee said Seoul would continue to cooperate closely with the second-term Bush administration to resolve the nuclear issue and other major issues involving the two countries.

    In the State of the Union, Bush said that he was working with Asian leaders to "convince Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear drive."

    Bush's remark, which was seen by many as conciliatory, contrasted with his harsh criticism of the DPRK in his 2002 State of the Union address.

    South Korean media and government paid great attention to this year's Bush's speech, worrying about any harsh criticism would lead to Pyongyang's refusal of returning to the stalled six-party nuclear talks. Enditem