Related report: DPRK conducts nuclear test    

Image of DPRK 's nuclear test base released in January.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States rejected on Monday the idea of holding direct talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and insisted that the two can have talks within the framework of six-party talks.

    "Within the context of the six-party talks, we are absolutely willing to talk to the North Koreans," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing.

    "But the idea that you deal with North Korea in a strictly bilateral sense is one that's been tried and unfortunately has failed. And we are now in a position where North Korea, when it persists in bad behavior in the vein of launching missiles, conducting a nuclear test, it's not a U.S.- North Korea issue," McCormack said.

    "This is now an issue where you have the Security Council and the other five parties of the six-party talks united in putting pressure on North Korea to get them to change their behavior," McCormack said.

    The six-party talks, which involve the United States, the DPRK, China, Russia, South Korea and Japan, have been stalled since September last year when the last round of talks were held in Beijing.

    The United States has urged the DPRK to return to the six-party talks although it has conducted a nuclear test.

U.S. lawmakers urge Bush to have direct talks with DPRK

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two Senators from the ruling Republican Party echoed the demands of the opposition Democrats on Sunday, calling the Bush administration to have direct talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in resolving the nuclear stalemate.

    Richard Lugar, the Republican chairman of the Senate's foreign relations panel, told the Fox News that direct talks, which the DPRK has long requested and the Bush administration refuses, are "inevitable if this is to be resolved diplomatically." Full Story

U.S. affirms "immediate" security support to S Korea

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has offered assurance of his country's "firm commitment" and "immediate support" to South Korea, including continuation of the extended deterrence offered by the U.S. nuclear umbrella, a document released by the Pentagon on Saturday said.

    Rumsfeld made the pledge in the joint communique of the 38th Security Consultative Meeting between the defense chiefs of the two countries, which was held in Washington on Friday. Full Story

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