US official lambastes N Korea

John Bolton wants Pyongyang's neighbours to help resolve the crisis

A senior United States official has launched a blistering attack on North Korea, saying the country had accelerated its nuclear weapons programme while its people lived a "hellish nightmare".

US arms negotiator John Bolton made some unusually personal criticisms of the North's leader, Kim Jong-il, who he called a "tyrannical dictator" living like royalty.

The comments appeared part of an on-going diplomatic stand-off over the North's nuclear ambitions, with neither side wishing to be seen to be weak ahead of expected talks.

While he lives like royalty in Pyongyang, he keeps hundreds of thousands of his people locked in prison camps John Bolton Profile of Kim Jong-il Q&A: N Korea's nuclear threat

North Korea issued its own attack on Thursday. The Rodong Sinmun newspaper accused Washington of "all sorts of lies and plots", and building up its forces as a prelude to invading the North.

The US wants the next round of talks to include countries like South Korea and Japan, arguing that Pyongyang's nuclear programme is an issue for the entire region.

'September talks'

But North Korea has repeatedly said it would rather talk to Washington alone, a stance Mr Bolton described as a "one-note piano concerto".

Mr Bolton's comments - made in South Korea during a three-country tour of Asia - came at a sensitive time.

Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday that the US and the two Koreas were in the final stages of discussing a proposal to hold three-way talks in early September.

Mr Bolton, a well-known hawk on relations with the North, said the "ball was in North Korea's court".

"The key now is to get South Korea and Japan, and ultimately Russia and others, a seat at the table," he said.

Mr Bolton said that while Kim Jong-il lived like royalty, for millions of his people, life was a "hellish nightmare".

"While he lives like royalty in Pyongyang, he keeps hundreds of thousands of his people locked in prison camps with millions more mired in abject poverty, scrounging the ground for food," he said.

In the Thai capital Bangkok, 10 people believed to be North Koreans entered the Japanese embassy on Thursday in an apparent bid for asylum.

North Koreans fleeing their homes have often sought asylum in embassies in China. It is less common for them to reach other destinations.

Mr Bolton - who has already held talks in Beijing - is due to travel to Tokyo later on Thursday.