By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The U.S. special envoy on North Korea is offering an olive branch to the Stalinist country despite its provocative and confrontational stance.
Stephen Bosworth said that the Barack Obama administration still prefers to engage in ``serious, effective diplomacy.''
``The United States and our allies and partners in the region will need to take the necessary steps to assure our security in the face of this growing threat,'' he told a Senate hearing.
But he said Thursday Obama was determined to address the growing threat from Pyongyang which recently conducted an underground nuclear test.
Just a few days ago, he said the United States has no plan to attack the North.
He continued, `` In the interests of all concerned, we very much hope that North Korea will choose the path of diplomacy rather than confrontation.''
The envoy hinted at Washington's wish to engage the North, either through the six-party talks or two-way dialogue.
``There is no evidence (the North Koreans) are prepared to do that now but I believe they will eventually come back to the table,'' he said.
North Korea's May 25 nuclear experiment invited a backlash from the international community.
The U.N. Security Council Wednesday had its seven key players agree on a draft resolution to impose sanctions on the secretive state.
The new resolution, considered much stronger than the one in 2006, is expected to contain a total embargo on the export of arms to and from North Korea.
It also reportedly asked for strengthened inspections of North Korean vessels suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and related materials.
Financial sanctions are also increased in order to stipulate the freezing of assets and finances that can contribute to the spread of WMDs and missile programs.
The new sanctions are expected to be adopted shortly.