N Korea ready to scrap nuclear weapons: US

BEIJING: North Korea reaffirmed during talks on Tuesday a pledge made last year to scrap its nuclear weapons in return for concessions, US negotiator Christopher Hill said.   

Hill, after a meeting with his North Korean and Chinese counterparts to six-party talks, said Pyongyang had agreed to return to the talks as early as November without conditions.   

Additionally Pyongyang promised to abide by the pledge to scrap its nuclear weapons made at the forum in September 2005. "We all reaffirmed, including the North Koreans, our commitment to the September statement and the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," Hill said.   

The discussions on Tuesday in Beijing involved Hill, his North Korean counterpart to the six-party talks, Kim Kye-Gwan and Chinese envoy Wu Dawei.   

In what was seen as a major breakthrough last September, North Korea committed to giving up its nuclear weapons in return for security guarantees, normalization of relations, energy and other aid.   

Within hours, however, North Korea attached conditions to the deal and in November announced it was boycotting further talks.