PYONGYANG, North Korea -- North Korea has indicated it will not participate in six-way nuclear talks, Kyodo reported Tuesday.
Diplomats said Pyongyang signaled during a visit last week by a Chinese delegation that Kim Jong Il's representatives would be unwilling to attend the talks any time soon, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
North Korea "still wants to assess U.S. policy toward the country," a source said, adding North Korea is particularly interested in President Bush's State of the Union message in January, as well as personnel changes in the State Department following his re-election.
The six-country talks aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear standoff have stalled since Pyongyang refused to attend the fourth round, initially scheduled for the end of September, citing what it calls Washington's hostile attitude.
