N Korea rejects US offer over nuke issue

"The study of the recent policy clarified by (US) high-ranking officials ... clearly suggests that the US 'landmark proposal' was nothing but a sham offer," the spokesman told Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"The US is foolish enough to calculate that such mode imposed upon Libya would be accepted by the DPRK (North Korea) too," he said.

Senior US officials have urged North Korea to follow the example of Libya which renounced the pursuit of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons plans. In return, Washington lifted most sanctions against Tripoli.

Top US arms control official John Bolton, on a visit to South Korea this week, however, rejected North Korea's offer of a nuclear freeze, calling for the immediate dismantling of its nuclear program.

"The DPRK, therefore, considers the US 'landmark proposal' to be little worthy to be discussed any longer," the North Korean spokesman said.

Pyongyang's reaction came after six-nation talks on the nuclear standoff ended in Beijing last month with the United States making a concrete offer to resolve the issue for the first time.