US seeks strategy with Japan for N Korea talks

Powell, in the region to prod negotiating partners to exert pressure on the reclusive state, pledged to deal urgently with what many analysts believe could be the world's worst proliferation challenge in the next few years.

"We are not out of time," Powell said at a news conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura. "We are all pressing hard. There is a sense of urgency."

With North Korea threatening to bolster its atomic arsenal and the Bush administration under pressure to force a breakthrough, Powell sought to hammer out a strategy to persuade North Korea to return to six-party talks

The six parties to the talks -- North and South Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia -- have met three times but failed to meet for a fourth round planned for September on scrapping Pyongyang's suspected nuclear weapons programmes.

Powell, who will also visit China and South Korea on his first trip to the region in 18 months, promised North Korea the hope of aid from some of the negotiating countries but ruled out meeting North Korea's conditions for a new round.

Among other things, North Korea demanded the United States drop what it sees as a confrontational policy aimed at ousting its leadership and cited a US-led naval exercise to be held on Monday off Japan as evidence of its intentions.

The United States has repeatedly vowed not to attack North Korea but Powell left no doubt the military practice was aimed at stifling Pyongyang's suspected proliferation.

"The only thing North Korea should be concerned about is whether or not they are going to get caught," he said.

Machimura vowed to use bilateral meetings next month to press North Korea to return to talks.

North Korea also said on Friday it will not return to the talks unless the United States discusses South Korea's nuclear experiments and improves its June proposal by offering direct aid as an incentive for Pyongyang to scrap its programmes.