The Republic of Korea (RoK) and Japan announced on September 14 that they are not opposed to direct talks between the US and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea if these help to revive stalled six-nation talks on nuclear disarmament.

“The government is not against a US-DPRK bilateral meeting if it does not replace six-party talks and expedites the six-party process aimed at denuclearising the DPRK,” RoK Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-Young was quoted by the AFP as saying.

Meanwhile, on the same theme, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka said that Japan accepts the US idea of engaging in direct bilateral talks as long as it is under the framework of the six-party talks on disbanding Pyongyang 's nuclear arsenal.

“If it is to help the six-party talks move forward, it is one effort (that can be made),” he was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.

“Our idea is that the six-party talks are the most effective and realistic venue to deal with this (nuclear) issue. And dialogue between the US and the DPRK has already taken place within that framework,” Yabunaka added.

Earlier on September 11, Philip J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for public affairs, said the US is prepared to meet the DPRK in a bilateral discussion as part of efforts to convince the North to return to the stalled six-party nuclear talks.

Crowley , however, denied the move amounted to a significant policy change and suggested it amounted to a tactical shift when he called it a "short-term" measure to bring the DPRK back to the talks./.