Losyukov, left, welcomed by a North Korean diplomat

SEOUL, January 19 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – North Korea spurned Sunday, January 19, moves to resolve the nuclear crisis through the United Nations, saying the dispute could only be resolved in direct negotiations with the United States.

"The DPRK (North Korea) and the U.S. should sit face-to-face to solve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, as it was authored by the latter," the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted first vice foreign minister Kang Sok-Ju as saying in Pyongyang.

"The internationalization of this issue would make the prospect of its settlement more complicated and gloomy."

Separate editorials by KCNA and North Korea's ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun lambasted the U.S., and especially Secretary of State Colin Powell, for suggesting the U.N. should help broker an end to the crisis.

"It fully reveals the shameless nature and wicked intention of the U.S. to internationalize the DPRK's 'nuclear issue' in a bid to brand it as a 'criminal' and stifle it at any cost," Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted the paper as saying.

"The nuclear issue and the present situation on the Korean peninsula are entirely attributable to the U.S. imperialists' hostile policy toward the DPRK."

This came just one day before the U.N. Security Council was to discuss the issue in New York and amid a wave of international diplomacy aimed at forging a global effort to end the crisis.

On Saturday, January 18, Kang told visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov that the nuclear dispute must be handled between Pyongyang and Washington.

"Recent actions were taken to protect the highest interests of our country," he said, referring to North Korea's decision to reactivate a mothballed nuclear complex, expel U.N. monitors and withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Losyukov was in Pyongyang as a special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, forming part of a diplomatic drive to resolve the showdown over the North's nuclear ambitions.

Russia has been pushing for a deal that would see North Korea be given security guarantees and economic aid in return for a commitment to revive a collapsed 1994 U.S.-North Korean deal under Pyongyang froze its nuclear program.

In Beijing before visiting North Korea, Losyukov stressed that "quiet diplomacy" must be given a chance to work.

Losyukov and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Wenchang agreed to call for calm and restraint and to "continue seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue under the current complicated situation," said China's official Xinhua news agency.

China and Russia are North Korea's closest allies and are considered perhaps the only countries with any influence over the hermetic state.

U.S. Can Never Break People's Will: Defiant Kim 

"No force on earth can break the inexhaustible strength and indomitable will of this great army and people," Kim thundered

Defiant North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il thundered that the will of his people and army would never be broken amid the ongoing nuclear standoff with the U.S.

"No force on earth can break the inexhaustible strength and indomitable will of this great army and people who have brought about only victories pulling through all difficulties and ordeals," he averred.

"The further the imperialists intensify their moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK (North Korea), the more dynamically its army and people turn out to successfully build a powerful nation," Kim stressed in remarks made during his "field guidance" to see land realignment in south Phyongan province.

He also praised soldiers, party members and workers for over-fulfilling "their quotas despite intense cold of midwinter," it said.

U.S. President George W. Bush, who made North Korea a charter member of his "axis of evil," has accused the reclusive leader of starving his people.

Kim has struggled to rescue the North's 23 million people from famine.

North Korea has been hit by food and energy shortages since 1995, with natural disasters aggravating its struggle for survival.

U.S. Considered Attack on North Korea Over Nuke Crisis: Roh

"I thought that no matter what differences I might face with the United States, I would stop an attack on North Korea," said Roh.

U.S. officials considered an attack on North Korea before agreeing to seek a peaceful solution to the ongoing nuclear standoff, South Korean president-elect Roh Moo-Hyun said.

Roh told a conference on Saturday night that there were high-level U.S. discussions about a possible attack on North Korea when he was elected in December.

"When I was elected, the situation was so acute because some U.S. officials, who held considerable responsibility in the administration, talked about the possibility of attacking North Korea," he said.

"I then thought that no matter what differences I might face with the United States, I would stop an attack on North Korea.

"Fortunately, opinion in the United States started to change to resolving the matter peacefully."

Roh has consistently called for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis and says he supports a policy of engagement with the reclusive Stalinist regime.

Japan Backs U.S. Offer

Kelly, right, is greeted by Kawaguchi before their meeting

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi met Sunday to discuss what Tokyo and Washington could do to pressure North Korea into giving up its nuclear arms program.

Kawaguchi expressed support for the U.S. announcement that it may declare it had no intention of attacking North Korea if Pyongyang gave up its nuclear arms program.

"I was told that the ideas were a comprehensive result of its historical efforts" to deal with North Korea, Kawaguchi told reporters after meeting Kelly.

Kawaguchi and Kelly said Japan and the United States would continue to work together with China, South Korea and Russia in a bid to resolve the North Korea nuclear crisis, a foreign ministry official said.

"I want to mention, though, I didn't bring anything particularly new because we had very interesting and significant statements made (last) week in Washington from President (George W.) Bush, Secretary (of State Colin) Powell, and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage giving detailed press conferences that really summarized many of the American views.

"What I did was to go into a lot of details with Japanese friends as I did ... with Korean friends to spell out how we work to resolve this issue of North Korea and its return to its international obligations," Kelly said, without giving details of his talk with Kawaguchi.