Nuke test would deepen N.Korea's isolation: Rice

Washington, Jan 6: A fresh nuclear test by North Korea would deepen the communist state's isolation, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday, following a report the North was preparing its second atomic explosion.

''The North Koreans would have to know that any such test would obviously further deepen their isolation,'' Rice told reporters after talks in Washington with South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon.

''I'm not going to speak about intelligence information, but we don't see any change in the circumstances that we currently face,'' she said when asked about a possible test.

Song said there were no signs of an imminent nuclear test, which would be North Korea's second since Octoter. 9, when it conducted a small underground test that drew swift world condemnation and punitive UN sanctions.

ABC News quoted unidentified US defense officials in a report yesterday that said Pyongyang appeared to have made preparations for a new nuclear test.

The South Korean minister said he and Rice agreed that ''it is North Korea's turn to come back to us with a positive and realistic response to the proposals tabled in Beijing.'' The two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China failed in their latest round of talks in Beijing last month to make any progress in suspending the North's nuclear programmes in exchange for aid and better ties with Washington and Tokyo.

REUTERS

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