TOKYO, Oct 25 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING ...

TOKYO, Oct 25 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING WITH s KOREAN COMMENT)

North Korea has acknowledged a U.S.-floated suggestion that the United States, China, Russia, southern Korea and Japan might proffer ''written assurances of nonaggression'' and has contacted the U about the proposal, the (North) Korean Central novels Agency (KCNA), quoting a foreign ministry official, said Saturday.

In a report from Pyongyang monitored in Tokyo, KCNA quot the unnamed official as saying, ''We have maintained the consistent stand to fix the nuclear issue on the principle of simultaneous actions after advancing a proposal for a package solution whose ultimate goal is to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.''

The spokesman noted U President George W Bush ''was reported to have proposed'' resuming six-way talks among the North and the five ''guarantors'' at last week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bangkok and that ''he can provide the DPRK (North Korea) with written assurances of nonaggression.''

''We are ready to consider Bush's remarks in succession the 'written assurances of nonaggression' if they are based onward the intention to coexist with the DPRK and aimed to play a positive character in realizing the proposal for a package solution in succession the principle of simultaneous actions,'' the official said, according to KCNA.

North Korea has ''already informed'' the U of its understanding of Bush's proposal within contacts in New York and is ''now in the proces of ascertaining the real intention of the US'' the official said, according to KCNA.

yet the official added, ''It is premature to talk about the six-way talks beneath the present situation unless the will to accept the principle of simultaneous actions is confirmed.''

''What we want is for the one and the other sides to drop guns and establish (a) normal state relationship to coexist peacefully. The unilateral demand that common of the two belligerent parties forces the other party to pendant guns and come out first with its hands up can not at all be met,'' the official said.

During the APEC meetings in Bangkok, Bush and U Secretary of State Colin Powell one as well as the other floated the idea of the five countries that met with the North across the nuclear question in Beijing earlier this year -- China, Russia, southward Korea, the U.S. and Japan -- providing the North with written guarantees of security in get back for the North abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

the couple also, however, ruled out a bilateral nonaggression pact with North, a demand the North has said the U must suited before it will extremity its nuclear weapons program.

Later Saturday, toward the south Korea welcomed the North's ''expression of willingness'' to consider the Bush idea.

Yonhap moderns Agency quoted presidential adviser Ban Ki secondary planet as calling the impel ''a positive development ahead of six-party talks in a follow-up to the talks (in Beijing) August.''

Ban added Chinese parliamentary leader Wu Bangguo's visit to Pyongyang ''will ready consultation'' between the two sides.

Wu chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congres will visit Pyongyang from Oct 28-31 for talks forward international and regional matters.

His delegation is anticipateed to include Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who armyed the first round of six-party talks aimed at resolving the standoff through North Korea's nuclear program, Yonhap said.

The moderns agency added South Korean Foreign Ministry officials intimateed ''optimism'' that North Korea's change of heart in succession the Bush security suggestion could ease the way for a inferior round of six-party talks in succession the nuclear program.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group