| North Korea says it will not return to | | | | community has been clear there is no need for |
| multilateral talks on ending its nuclear | | | | nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula, and |
| ambitions and has repeated its earlier | | | | that the United States has no intention of |
| assertions that it has already manufactured | | | | attacking the North. |
| nuclear weapons. South Korean, Japanese and | | | | |
| U.S. officials are pushing Pyongyang to | | | | For months, North Korea has stalled efforts |
| resume talks. | | | | to have a fourth round of talks with China, |
| | | | South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United |
| A North Korean television announcer reads a | | | | States. Many experts on North Korea thought |
| Foreign Ministry statement Thursday, saying | | | | Pyongyang delayed in part because it hoped |
| that Pyongyang is suspending participation in | | | | that President Bush would be defeated in last |
| multilateral nuclear talks for "an indefinite | | | | year's election. After Mr. Bush was |
| period." | | | | re-elected, Pyongyang indicated it would |
| | | | decide on resuming talks after the president |
| He then says North Korea has manufactured | | | | selected his new foreign policy team. |
| nuclear weapons, repeating earlier claims. | | | | |
| | | | Mr. Bush last week gave only a low-key |
| The statement also says that U.S. Secretary | | | | mention to North Korea in his annual State of |
| of State Condoleezza Rice's recent | | | | the Union address, giving some experts hope |
| description of the North is an "outpost of | | | | that Pyongyang would return to the table. And |
| tyranny" shows that Washington has a hostile | | | | in recent weeks, U.S. and South Korean |
| attitude toward North Korea. Pyongyang says | | | | officials had expressed optimism about the |
| that means it has no justification to | | | | talks. |
| continue the talks. | | | | |
| | | | Chun Youk, a spokeswoman for the conservative |
| Speaking in Luxembourg, Ms. Rice said the | | | | Grand National Party in South Korea, says her |
| decision would only "deepen North Korea's | | | | party is disappointed in North Korea's |
| isolation." She says the international | | | | decision. |