He said that a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis was still possible even though Pyongyang was almost certainly not participating in the fourth round of the six-party talks as scheduled by the end of this month.

Aside from the United States and North Korea, the talks include Russia, Japan, South Korea and China.

By putting off participation in the talks, Powell said North Korea was delaying an opportunity to work with the global community to achieve denuclearization of the Korea peninsula.

"I think what they are also delaying is an opportunity for the international community to give them what they've asked for: a security agreement and to provide them asssistance with their internal economic needs, whether it's in the form of fuel from some of the countries initially or other econcomic assistance," he said.

"All of that, I think, is put into abeyance."

The United States had promised North Korea a multilateral guarantee that it would not be attacked as well as economic aid if it ended its nuclear weapons programs but Pyongyang had rejected the plan, saying Washington was not sincere.

Aside from speculation that North Korea was delaying resumption of the talks because of the US presidential elections on November 2, Powell said there had been "some internal debates and other problems of a personal nature inside the regime.

"I don't know. But the United States stands ready with the other members of the six-party framework to pursue this. We believe that a diplomatic solution is possible," he said.

Powell said President George W. Bush wanted to help the North Korean people.

"We want and must have a denuclearized peninsula and we have no intention or invading or attacking North Korea, notwithstanding their repeating the case constantly, (we have) no hostile intent," Powell said.

Three rounds of six-party talks to end the nuclear crisis in the Korean peninsula had been held so far among the United States, the two Koreas, Japan, Russia and host China.

But North Korea has refused to attend the fourth, scheduled for this month, blaming both US "hostile" policy and secret nuclear experiments in South Korea. Some reports said Pyongyang wanted to wait for the outcome of the US elections.

US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton had warned Tuesday that North Korea might have to be brought back to the UN Security Council if it refused participation in the talks.

North Korea was referred to the Security Council early last year after it withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty and expelled International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors following Washington's charge that it was involved in nuclear weapons activities.

The council made no decision on the issue.

Deputy US Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Wednesday the United States had no objection if North Korea wanted to resume six-party talks after the November 2 US presidential elections.

"If the North Koreans have come to the conclusion they want to wait for the result of the election, fine, let them do so," he said.

But he cautioned North Korea against assuming it would get a better deal in return for ending its nuclear weapons drive after the elections, in which Bush is being challenged by Democratic Senator John Kerry.

Bush favours multilateral talks to resolving the nuclear question while Kerry prefers direct talks with the Stalinist regime.

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