The United States has said it would consider again supplying the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) with a light-water nuclear reactor as part of recent talks in Beijing, the Washington Times reported Wednesday.  

The discussion came during a meeting at the six-party talks last week between Joseph DeTrani, the top US representative to the talks, and his DPRK counterpart, Ri Gun, the report said, citing anonymous Bush administration officials.

The DPRK side raised the issue and DeTrani responded that providing the light-water reactor was possible and could be "one element" of a US policy response if the DPRK abandoned their nuclear arms program, the report said.

Moreover, DeTrani stressed that before the reactor deal could be discussed, Pyongyang would have to rejoin the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and permit International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to return to monitor the nuclear activities of the DPRK, the report said.

The DPRK pulled out of the NPT in January 2003 and ceased cooperation with the IAEA in December 2002.

The United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea agreed to provide the DPRK with two light-water reactors as part of the 1994 Agreed Framework. The agreements called for supplying the reactors and fuel oil to the DPRK but were later put on hold after the disclosure of the alleged secret uranium-enrichment effort by the DPRK.

The United States has demanded the "complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement" of its nuclear programs before any rewards to Pyongyang could be discussed.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2004)