UN chief concerned over DPRK decision on six-party talks

UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here on Wednesday that he is concerned over the recent decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to walk away from the six-party talks.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks during his monthly press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, July 29, 2009. (Xinhua/Gu Zhenqiu)

At his monthly press briefing, Ban said that the international community will not accept nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula and expressed his dismay that the DPRK was shutting down channels of communication.

However, the secretary-general voiced his support for a possible direct engagement between DPRK and the United States.

Earlier this month, the DPRK said it was walking away from the six-party talks for good but signaled it was willing to speak with the United States one-on-one.

Ban said he "supported and welcomed" bilateral discussion between the DPRK and the U.S. administration.

"While I believe that six-party talks provide a good way for a solution, if necessary, there should be some other forms of dialogue," he said, "and I am encouraged by the willingness of DPRK authorities to engage in direct dialogue with the United States."