N Korea talks deadline extended

US envoy Christopher Hill is worried about ambiguities in the draft

Negotiations over North Korea's nuclear programme have been extended for 24 hours until Monday.

Delegates are discussing a Chinese proposal to allow North Korea to use power produced by nuclear energy.

Christopher Hill, the US envoy at the six-party talks in Beijing, said he believed the draft proposals left too many ambiguities.

Washington wants Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear programme in exchange for free power and other incentives.

"We cannot create ambiguities at this stage that would cause confusion in the future," said Mr Hill, US Assistant Secretary of State.

REACTOR ROW N Korea is being pressed to give up nuclear weapons and close Yongbyon reactor In return it will receive security guarantees, economic aid and free electricity N Korea first said it wanted right to maintain civilian nuclear programme Now says it wants to be given a light water reactor N Korea was promised two reactors under 1994 deal, but deal broke down in 2002

"We're not going to get there by papering over these differences and kicking the can down the road."

The BBC's Charles Scanlon in Seoul says that after three years of confrontation, the US has indicated its patience is finally running out.

If no agreement can be reached under which North Korea gives up its suspected nuclear weapons programme, the US could refer it to the UN Security Council for potential sanctions.

Korean demand

As well as the two Koreas, the US, China and Japan, Russia are also involved in the talks.

China originally set a deadline of Saturday afternoon for a decision on its proposals, but then extended it.

Japan's chief delegate, Kenichiro Sasae, said he still had issues with the document.

"We will have important meetings today that will determine either the success or failure of the talks," he said on Sunday.

CRISIS TIMELINE Oct 2002: US says North Korea is enriching uranium in violation of agreements Dec 2002: North Korea removes UN seals from Yongbyon nuclear reactor, expels inspectors Feb 2003: IAEA refers North Korea to UN Security Council Aug 2003: First round of six-nation talks begins in Beijing Feb 2005: Pyongyang says it has built nuclear weapons for self-defence Timeline: Nuclear crisis

"We are not necessarily satisfied," Mr Sasae said, adding that negotiators were "working up to the last minute".

During the talks which began on Tuesday, North Korea introduced a new demand that it be given a light water nuclear reactor, to make up for the graphite moderated reactors it is being pressed to give up.

Light water reactors are much more difficult to use as a source of plutonium with which to build nuclear weapons. North Korea claims to be using one of its existing graphite reactors to this end.