N Korea 'offers nuclear deal'

Powell: 'They expect something considerable in return'

North Korea has offered to scrap its nuclear programme in exchange for major concessions from the United States, according to US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The offer was made during talks between North Korean diplomats and their US counterparts hosted by the Chinese Government in Beijing last week, he said.

Earlier the US said the secretive communist state, led by Kim Jong-il, had confirmed that it possessed nuclear weapons.

The BBC's correspondent at the state department, Jon Leyne, says Pyongyang's alleged belligerence and then acquiesence to US demands may cause friction in the Bush administration as to how to proceed.

US officials have insisted they will not reward North Korea for ending its nuclear programme and it is not clear how they will proceed, our correspondent says.

Projects 'acknowledged'

Mr Powell said it was useful to get the whole issue out on the table.

"The North Koreans acknowledged a number of things that they were doing and, in effect, said that these are now up for further discussion," he told reporters in Washington.

"They did put forward a plan that would ultimately deal with their nuclear capability and their missile activities, but they of course expect something considerable in return."

NUCLEAR STAND-OFF

Oct 2002 - US says N Korea "admits" secret nuclear programme

Nov 2002 - US-led decision to halt oil shipments to N Korea

Dec 2002 - N Korea expels two nuclear watchdog's inspectors

Jan 2003 - N Korea says it is withdrawing from Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Feb 2003 - N Korea "restarts" Yongbyon nuclear plant

Apr 2003 - N Korea ends insistence on direct talks with US

Who wants what

Crisis timeline

Mr Powell did not specify what the North Koreans were demanding in return. Reports suggest that Pyongyang wants normalised relations with the US and economic assistance.

He said Washington was now studying the Korean offer and discussing it with nations including South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and Australia.

He was responding to reports from Beijing that North Korean negotiators had made offers to their US counterparts conditional on Washington dropping its "hostile attitude" towards Pyongyang.

The offers were said to have included the scrapping of the nuclear programme, ending ballistic missile tests and allowing nuclear inspectors into North Korea.

The reports emerged after the Chinese foreign ministry held a briefing for European Union diplomats.

Last week's talks in Beijing were the first, high-level US-North Korean contact since the latest crisis erupted in October, when Washington accused Pyongyang of having a secret nuclear arms programme.

Inter-Korean talks

Monday also saw the continuation of talks between North and South Korea.

South Korea's attempts to discuss the nuclear crisis with its northern neighbour were largely stonewalled by Pyongyang.

There was wrangling over the inclusion of the nuclear issue in the wording of a planned joint statement.

North Korea has repeatedly insisted it will only resolve the nuclear issue in talks with Washington.

The inter-Korean talks, which began on Sunday, are scheduled to end on Tuesday.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has pledged to continue his predecessor Kim Dae-jung's policy of engaging North Korea.

But while stressing the need for continued dialogue with Pyongyang, and denying the need for sanctions, Seoul has repeatedly said it will never accept its neighbour possessing nuclear weapons.