South Korea's foreign minister made it clear Sunday that the country does not want the six-way nuclear talks over North Korea's nuclear program to resume until the communist nation stops pushing for unacceptable preconditions.
"It is not time to discuss six-way talks laden with North Korea-set preconditions," Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said in an interview with state-owned broadcaster KTV.
Yu said the North is apparently attempting to use the long-stalled nuclear negotiations as a means to distract world attention away from the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in March.
A South Korea-led multinational probe found that the North sank the 1,200-ton Cheonan patrol ship with a torpedo just south of their western sea border, killing 46 sailors.
The U.N. Security Council discussed the issue at the request of Seoul. After several weeks of debates, it issued a presidential statement earlier this month backing Seoul's condemnation of the attack, but also mentioning Pyongyang's denial of involvement.
China and North Korea were quick to call for the resumption of the six-way talks, which also involve the U.S., Japan and Russia. The Beijing-based talks have been stalled since the North stormed out last year before carrying out its second nuclear test.
Last week, North Korea offered to return to the negotiations, reiterating its calls for the lifting of sanctions on it imposed after its missile and nuclear tests.