"The willingness of the United States to sit down any time, any place, to discuss whatever issues are on the agenda. And the importance we attach to dealing with those issues are quite clear," said the state department spokesman, stressing that Washington will continue to restate them. Boucher continued that "the issue here is not the willingness of the United States to sit down and talk; the issue is not the willingness of the South Korean Government to try to pursue more openness in their relations with the North; the issue is a very regrettable fact that the North Koreans have not reciprocated either of these offers."

Prior to the press briefing, Secretary of State Colin Powell said to reporters on Airforce One, flying back to Washington upon completion of President Bush's Asian tour, that Washington will inform North Korean diplomats through New York channels that the door for dialogue is still open, implying that Washington would continue to express its willingness to negotiate at its occasional working-level contacts with Pyongyang. Secretary Powell said he is sure that Pyongyang is more focused on thinking than it did weeks ago.

US Ambassador to Japan Howard Bake said in an interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun in its February 23 issue that President George W. Bush is asking Pyongyang to accept dialogue without preconditions, adding that Pyongyang would need to show more sincerity.

Under the premise that there are "separate approaches" regarding dealing with the North, Ambassador Baker said that "the common, unifying theme is the clear recognition by the United States and the statement by the president that the civilized world will not tolerate nations developing weapons of mass destruction and using them--perhaps in terrorist attacks."

(From Washington D.C. Ju Yong-jung, midway@chosun.com; From Tokyo, Choi Heop pot@chosun.com )