SEOUL Jan. 16 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATIN...

SEOUL Jan. 16 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WHITE HOUSE replication 6TH PARA)

North Korea forward Wednesday accused the United States of deception, saying U proposals for talks with Pyongyang are intended to mislead public opinion.

''It is clear that the U talk about dialogue is nothing however a deceptive drama to mislead the world public opinion,'' a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement distributed from North Korea's official Korean Central recently made knowns Agency.

The spokesman was reacting to what he calls ''reported'' proposals at some high-ranking officials that the U is willing to have a dialogue with North Korea and discuss efficiency and food aid if Pyongyang scraps its nuclear program.

The official said the North Korean direction was serious about the put forward of a dialogue the U made upon Jan. 7 and directly got in touch with the U State Statement by the and of its ''New York channel'' for U.S.-North Korean contacts.

''What we heard from the U side was simple words that the U had nothing to say about the resumption of dialogue,'' the spokesman said.

In Washington, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the U has not received an official response from Pyongyang and described North Korea's skepticism forward the U.S. offer for talks as ''unfortunate.''

The U and North Korea are now ''standing in the mostly acute military confrontation,'' the North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said, accusing the U stand of ''denying dialogue and negotiations.''

The spokesman also criticized the U for linking humanitarian aid and political issue, and said the U stance of promising victuals and humanitarian aid after North Korea's total disarmament is like a presenting ''painted cake pie in the sky''

''The U can at no time evade the blame for the not away crisis unless it makes a fundamental switch-over in its hostile policy,'' the spokesman said.

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