North Korea invited the chief US envoy to stalled nuclear talks to visit Pyongyang, but said Washington must prove it is committed to an agreement that offers the North concessions for abandoning its nuclear programme.
"If the US has a true political intention to implement the joint statement we kindly invite once again the head of the US side's delegation to the talks to visit Pyongyang and directly explain it to us," the North's official KCNA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying on Thursday.
Christopher Hill, the chief US envoy to nuclear talks among the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, has said he is willing to directly meet North Korean officials within the context of the six-party nuclear forum. He has also previously indicated a desire to meet the North's leader Kim Jong-il and has not ruled out a trip to North Korea.
North Korea has refused to return to the talks since the last round in November because of a US crackdown on firms suspected of aiding Pyongyang in illicit financial activities.
"The US will never be able to find a way of solving the issue if it is so reluctant to sit with the party directly concerned with the issue, while expressing its intention to seek a negotiated settlement of such crucial issue as the nuclear issue," KCNA said.
The US State Department did not immediately have comment on the invitation.
In September 2005, the six countries reached a joint statement in which North Korea pledged to scrap its nuclear weapons programmes in exchange for aid, security assurances and greater diplomatic recognition. North Korea has long sought two-way talks with the United States outside the six-party process.
An analyst saw the North's invitation as a skilfully timed overture to Washington with the belief that, under an embattled President George W. Bush and on the heels of a fresh US offer of nuclear talks with Iran, its chances of direct talks are better than ever.
"North Korea may just well be thinking, since Bush is in trouble, it could work," said Park Young-ho, an expert on the North at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.
North Korea's Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun met both Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters on Thursday.
"Paek Nam-sun explained North Korea's thoughts and attitude in pushing for a resumption of six-party talks," Liu said. "He also repeated that North Korea's ultimate aim is the de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula."