A Foreign Ministry spokesman in Pyongyang says North Korea finds it "impossible" to meet U.S. officials for further talks on eliminating the communist state's nuclear-weapons program.
The (unidentified) spokesman in Pyongyang denounced President Bush's critical comments last week about North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
North Korea also repeated today (Monday) an earlier statement declaring it will not join a working-group meeting China has been trying to arrange in order to prepare for another round of six-nation nuclear talks next month.
Despite North Korea's rejection, South Korean officials are visiting China and Japan this week to discuss the nuclear issue and prospects for arranging another round of working-level contacts by enovys from the United States, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and North Korea.
Information for this report is provided by AP and AFP.