By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

The top U.S. diplomat in South Korea stressed Wednesday that the Obama administration is not hostile toward North Korea and is ready to hold direct talks with the communist state within the six-party denuclearization framework.

Ambassador Kathleen Stephens said she has seen North Korea's attitude changing for the better in recent months, expressing hope Pyongyang will rejoin the stalled six-party talks soon.

"The United States has neither hostile intent toward the people of North Korea nor are we threatening to change the North Korean regime through force," she said at a forum in Seoul, hosted by the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, a private association of political, religious and civic groups for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

"Our aim is to find diplomatic solutions with North Korea," she said, adding that the language from the North has become more positive. "We need to see actions."

The reclusive North pulled out of the six-party forum involving the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia last April after the United Nations imposed sanctions against the regime following its test-launch of a long-range missile.

Pyongyang has said it will return to the disarmament talks only when the U.N. sanctions are lifted and the U.S. accepts its demand for direct talks to discuss a peace treaty. The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Stephens made it clear that the establishment of a peace regime and economic aid to the North would be discussed only after progress is made in the six-way talks.

However, the U.S. government will still consider humanitarian aid, Stephens said, emphasizing that North Korea needs to set up a proper system to monitor the distribution of food to its people.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr