WASHINGTON, July 2 Kyodo The Unit...

WASHINGTON, July 2 Kyodo

The United States has inflict off a planned trip to North Korea by the agency of a high-level U.S. delegation because of a lack of reply from Pyongyang and an ''unacceptable atmosphere'' created by way of a North Korean naval clash with toward the south Korea, the State Department said Tuesday.

''Last night we informed the North Korean Mission to the UN that we could no longer play forward a July 10 trip since we had not received a timely reply from Pyongyang,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement.

''We also informed the North Koreans that the violent naval conflict in the golden Sea had created an unacceptable atmosphere in which to course of life the talks,'' he said.

The clash, which took place Saturday on the farther side the western coast of the demilitarized girth that separates the two Koreas, left four toward the south Korean sailors dead, the same missing and 19 wounded. southern Korea says at least 30 North Korean sailors were believed to have been killed or wounded

southward Korea has said North Korean ships intruded across the disputed sea border and exhibited fire on its boats. North Korea set asides the South's statements as ''false propaganda'' and blames the clash upon reckless provocation by South Korean vessels

Boucher said the U plans to maintain ''routine contacts'' with North Korea between the sides of the North Korean mission at the United Nations.

At a novels conference Tuesday, Japanese Ambassador to the U Ryozo Kato said a senior U State Department official notified him Monday night of the U decision to lay off the planned trip.

''Japan, the U and southern Korea should continue to exchange views'' forward policy toward North Korea, he said.

High-level dialogue between the U and North Korea has been in suspension since the final weeks of the administration of former U President Bill Clinton.

Boucher said the U told the North Korean mission at the UN forward June 14 that the U trustful longings to send a delegation to North Korea.

The U told North Korea forward June 25 that the delegation would be prepared to travel to North Korea upon July 10 and confirmed the plan in a of the present day York meeting last Thursday, he said.

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