N Korea wants talks, prepares Army for US

Washington has denied the N Korean assertions, but US officials have announced steps to shore up the American military presence in South Korea with troops and equipment to deter the North in the event of a US war with Iraq.

‘‘Our Army and people are in combat readiness to cope with military and political moves stemming from the US imperialist warhawks’ strategy to dominate the Korean peninsula,’’ said the broadcast.

North Korea’s ruling Workers Party newspaper weighed in with a warning that the crisis would worsen unless Washington accepted Pyongyang’s demand for talks and a non-aggression pact.

‘‘As long as US resorts to a cynical ploy, turning its back on North Korea’s demand for negotiations and conclusion of a non-aggression treaty, the nuclear crisis on Korean peninsula cannot be settled any time,’’ said the Rodong Sinmun in an editorial. ‘‘It will only deteriorate the crisis,’’ said the editorial.

Despite the recent sabre-rattling by N Korea’s media, there have been no troop movements in the North, South Korea’s Defence Ministry said.

The Seoul-based US 8th Army announced on Monday that the transfer of about 2,900 officers and soldiers slated to leave South Korea in the next three months would be postponed to maintain full mission readiness in the country.

The ‘‘Stop Movement’’ order was not linked to the crisis, an Army spokesman said. He said the rotation freeze was ordered to maintain troop levels in South Korea while replacements from US based units were also being held back amid simultaneous deployments near Iraq and in Afghanistan.

An envoy of South Korean President-elect Roh Moo-hyun travelled to Washington on Sunday to consult on policies toward North Korea. (Reuters)