North Korea said on Monday it could not attend the second phase
of the fourth round of six-party talks formerly scheduled for this
week, but indicated it might return to the talks in
mid-September.
Also on Monday, North Korea's official news agency KCNA accused
the United States of sabotaging the smooth resumption of talks.
According to a KCNA broadcast, the US appointed an "envoy for
the human rights issue of North Korea" and set in motion the
reactionary Radio Free Asia to launch a massive distorted
propaganda program about the plight of "defectors from the
North".
"We swear that we regard this as an absurd and foolish attempt
to overthrow the system of North Korea at any cost by adding the
human rights racket to the nuclear issue," KCNA broadcasted.
"The six-party talks were delayed a little more than one year as
the US demolished the very foundation of the talks by disregarding
and disrespecting its dialogue partner. The US is now repeating
this folly. This is tantamount to urging North Korea to reconsider
its approach to the talks," it added.
The fourth round of six-party talks began on July 26 in Beijing
and adjourned on August 7. The six parties had formerly agreed to
resume the second phase of the talks this week.
(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2005)