U.S. diplomat rules out bilateral talks with DPRK

It is impossible to hold bilateral talks between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after Pyongyang's announcement of a nuclear test on Monday, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow said here on Tuesday.

"I think in light of what happened yesterday we really have to ask ourselves whether the question of bilateral versus multilateral channels of dialogue was the real problem," Vershbow told reporters.

He said Pyongyang's claim of conducting a successful nuclear test had made its goal to have bilateral talks with Washington more difficult to reach.

Vershbow also called on South Korea to cooperate more closely with the United States in detecting and interdicting weapons of mass destruction.

The DPRK announced on Monday that it had conducted a successful underground nuclear test.

Source: Xinhua