NK hints at resuming dialogue with U.S.

North Korea voiced its desire to resume dialogue with the United States, extending an olive branch of sorts to Washington through its official radio broadcaster. The state-run Central Broadcasting Station reported Wednesday, ``We have no intention of making preemptive attacks against the United States, and rather hope the two countries will end their confrontation and improve relations.``

In a commentary titled ``They Will Not Avoid Our Retaliation If They Threaten Us,`` the radio network said, ``It`s not North Korea who threatens with missiles but the United States.`` ``We adopted independence, peace and friendship as the basic ideology for our external policies,`` the broadcaster said, hinting at the North`s intention to hold further dialogue with the U.S.

It said, ``We have formally assured the U.S. that we will suspend the test-firing of missiles while North Korea-U.S. talks related to missile problems are in progress.``

Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com