The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) derided a U.S. offer to provide multilateral security guarantees in exchange for Pyongyang ending its nuclear weapons program as laughable and said it was not worth even considering.

In a commentary published late on Tuesday, the DPRK official KCNA news agency said Pyongyang wanted a bilateral treaty with the United States -- a reference to its desire for a non-aggression pact that Washington has ruled out.

During a summit this week of Asian-Pacific leaders in Bangkok, U.S. President Bush made a significant shift in policy by saying he was sharing ideas with other regional leaders on how to give North Korea security guarantees short of a non-aggression treaty.

"We have asked for the United States to stop its hostile policy and a bilateral treaty between North Korea and the United States, and not for some sort of security guarantee," said KCNA in a Korean-language commentary.

"It's laughable and doesn't deserve even any consideration that the United States gives a security guarantee on the condition that we drop our nuclear development."

The United States joined China, Japan, Russia and South Korea in an inconclusive first round of talks with North Korea on the nuclear standoff in Beijing in late August.

A second round has not been arranged yet.

"If the United States truly wants to solve the nuclear issue peacefully and hold six-way talks, it should drop its hostile policy toward the North and show its political will to sign a non-aggression treaty," said KCNA.

During the Bangkok summit, North Korea test-fired at least one short-range missile and leader Kim Jong-il made his first appearance in 40 days when he visited a military farm.

(China Daily October 22, 2003)