US urges N. Korea to mend ties with S. Korea

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The United States Monday urged North Korea to improve ties with South Korea before moving to another round of the six-party talks on the North's denuclearization, stalled for more than two years over Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests and other provocations.

"A successful rapprochement between North and South Korea is an essential first step before we can consider getting involved diplomatically again or even talk about six-party talks," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. "We've seen a steady pattern of belligerent behavior on the part of North Korea. So we need to see a clear and decisive move in the opposite direction before we can talk about next steps."

Toner was discussing North Korea's torpedoeing of a South Korean warship and shelling of a border island that killed 50 people last year.

South Korean officials have said a North Korean apology for last year's provocations is not a precondition for the resumption of the six-party talks, involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.

Seoul, however, wants Pyongyang to address South Koreans' grievances over the incidents, saying the North's attitude on the provocations will serve as a factor affecting the multilateral nuclear talks.

Toner set a similar tone. "I didn't say they had to apologize for the Cheonan incident," he said. "What I said is we need to see clear, consistent behavior in the opposite direction, i.e., in the constructive manner, in order for us to talk about next steps diplomatically."