Asia-Pacific

US not to change DPRK through force: ambassador

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-10 10:50

SEOUL - The United States is not seeking to bring down the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) government, and is ready for dialogue between the two sides within the six-party framework, US ambassador to Seoul said Wednesday.

"The United States has no hostile intent towards the people of DPRK nor are we threatening to change the North Korean regime through force," Kathleen Stephens was quoted as telling a forum by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

"Our aim is to find diplomatic solutions to working with North Korea," she added.

Her remarks came after the DPRK threatened to halt its denuclearization process and strengthen its nuclear deterrence in protest of the ongoing annual joint South Korea-US military drills, codenamed the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, which begun Monday.

The exercises, which Pyongyang denounces as preparation for invasion, is said to be aimed at rehearsing the defense of South Korea in case of emergencies and improving combined and joint operational posture between the two militaries.

Stephens also said Washington is willing to engage in bilateral talks with Pyongyang within the framework of the stalled six-party process over the DPRK's denuclearization, noting that the DPRK has shown "positive signs" hinting at a possible return to the negotiation table despite its conventional threats.

"The language has become more positive," she said, adding the DPRK now needs to show action.

Expectations run high that the suspended talks will soon resume, following a recent exchange of high-level visits between Beijing and Pyongyang and a flurry of diplomatic efforts for reopening the talks.

The six-party talks were launched in 2003 but reached an impasse after Pyongyang in April last year unilaterally quit them in protest against UN sanctions triggered by its second nuclear test.

Officials here repeatedly said efforts to bring Pyongyang back to the disarmament talks are ongoing through various diplomatic channels among member countries, namely China, the two Koreas, the US, Japan and Russia, but cautioned against predicting when exactly the talks would reopen.