No US intent to force North Korean regime change, ambassador says

Seoul - The US ambassador to South Korea said Wednesday that the United States had no intention of forcibly ousting the North Korean government, news reports said.

Ambassador Kathleen Stephens said her country "has no hostile intent towards the people of North Korea nor are we threatening to change the North Korean regime through force," the South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported.

Her remarks came a day after North Korea said it would continue its nuclear weapons programme until the US dropped what Pyongyang called military threats against its communist regime.

North Korea on Monday also accused the US and South Korea of preparing for an invasion as their troops started an annual joint exercise in South Korea.

Stephens stressed that Washington was seeking "diplomatic solutions" and would be prepared to hold bilateral talks with North Korea if it promised to return to six-nation negotiations aimed at ending its nuclear programme.

The six-way talks involving North Korea, South Korea, the US, Japan, Russia and China have been on hold since North Korea walked out in April in protest of UN-imposed sanctions.

North Korea was showing "positive signs" of a willingness to return to the table but "we need to see actions," Stephens was quoted as saying.

DPA