SEOUL, March 20 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here on Sunday that the United States can hold direct talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) within the framework of the six-party nuclear talks. 

    Rice made the remarks during a joint press conference with her South Korean counterpart, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon after their meeting earlier in the day.

    The US senior official made clear that there won't be direct US-DPRK talks outside the six-party talks, because the nuclear issue is not only between the two, but a regional one.

    Rice also said six-party talks is the "best way" for the DPRK to receive "respect" it desires and "assistance" it needs.

    Meanwhile, Rice and Ban both urged the DPRK to return to the six-party nuclear talks "without delay."

    Before holding meeting with Ban Ki-moon, Rice also met South Korean Unification Minister and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Security Council Chung Dong-young and paid courtesy call on South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.

    Earlier Sunday, in a group interview by local internet outlets' journalists, Rice reiterated that Washington has no plan to attack the DPRK and urged Pyongyang to make "strategic choice" to scrap nuclear program.

    The US senior official arrived in Seoul on Saturday evening for a less than-24 hour trip here.

    Seoul is the fifth leg of Rice's six Asian nations tour which had already taken her to India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Japan. She was scheduled to leave for Beijing later Sunday. Enditem