The New Mexico governor was winding up a visit to Pyongyang, where he said that the commuist state was ready to permit a return of UN nuclear inspectors booted out in April 2009.

"They seemed to realize that they had maybe gone too far and now was a time to reach out," Richardson told CNN.

"I noticed a better tone -- flexibility," said Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has maintained contacts with North Korea for years.

Tensions have been soaring on the Korean peninsula. North Korea last year bolted out of six-nation denuclearization talks, pursued its nuclear program, shelled a civilian area in South Korea and allegedly downed a ship.

But North Korea's military command backed off on threats to fire back at a South Korean live-fire drill, saying in a statement that it "did not feel any need to retaliate against every despicable military provocation."

"They're somehow right now at a point where they feel that they've been isolated not just by the United States but by the six-party countries," Richardson said.

"Rightly so, I believe, because of their activities, what they did. But somehow I believe they've made a decision to open up, to re-engage," he said.

Richardson said that North Korean officials voiced concerns about US policy but said they liked President Barack Obama on a personal level, saying "he was somebody that was symbolically for the United States a great image."

The Obama administration has pursued a policy of engaging US adversaries but has refused to resume six-party talks with North Korea until it clearly commits to previous denuclearization agreements.

The State Department was skeptical of North Korea's statements to Richardson that it would readmit UN nuclear inspectors, saying it would wait for Pyongyang's actions instead of its words.

earlier related report
US voices doubt N.Korea ready to readmit inspectors
Washington (AFP) Dec 20, 2010 - The United States on Monday expressed skepticism that North Korea is ready to readmit UN nuclear inspectors who were expelled more than a year ago, adding "North Korea talks a great game."

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley made the remarks after US troubleshooter Bill Richardson said North Korea has agreed to permit the return of inspectors as part of measures to ease tensions on the peninsula.

Crowley told reporters the US government will "gain a perspective" on what the North Koreans told Richardson when the US troubleshooter returns from Pyongyang and briefs officials in Washington about his visit.

"North Korea talks a great game. They always do. The real issue is what will they do," Crowley said.

"If they are agreeable to returning IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors to their country, they have to tell the IAEA that," he said.

"If they're willing to participate in mechanisms that reduce tensions with South Korea, we would certainly favor any step that reduces tension and improves communication in the region," he said.

"We've seen a string of broken promises by North Korea going back many, many years," Crowley said.

"As we've said all along, we'll be guided by what North Korea does, not by what North Korea says it might do under certain circumstances," he added.

"If North Korea wants to reengage with the IAEA, wants to reintroduce inspectors into its facilities, that certainly would be a positive step," the US spokesman said.

"But the key is following through and implementing that decision and meeting its international obligations," he said.

Confirming a CNN report, Richardson said in a statement, as he visited Pyongyang, that North Korea had agreed to allow the return of inspectors from the IAEA.

North Korea in April 2009 pulled out of six-nation nuclear disarmament talks and ordered US and IAEA nuclear inspectors out of the country, after the UN Security Council condemned Pyongyang for an April 5 rocket launch.

It staged its second nuclear test a month later.

In his statement, Richardson said North Korean leaders also agreed to negotiate the sale of nuclear fuel rods to a third party, "such as South Korea", and to discuss a military commission and hotline.

Tensions have soared anew since a North Korean artillery attack last month on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, which killed four people including civilians and damaged dozens of homes.

Both the White House and the State Department reiterated that Richardson's visit was a private one and that he was carrying no message from President Barack Obama's administration.

"He did not ask our permission before he went, and we did not approve his visit," Crowley said.

He also said Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Kurt Campbell "were very closely monitoring events through the weekend" before South Korea carried out a live-fire drill.

But North Korea foreswore retaliation when South Korea went ahead with an exercise on Monday that involved heavy artillery, air force jets and the reported deployment of two naval destroyers.

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