US Secretary of State Colin Powell said last month Pyongyang, locked in a 15-month nuclear standoff with the United States, should "get smart" and follow Libya's example.

"This is nothing but a folly of imbeciles utterly ignorant of the DPRK's (North Korea's) independent policy," Pyongyang's official media quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi stunned the world last month when he said Tripoli would renounce its quest for chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and welcome international inspections.

"To expect any 'change' from the DPRK stand is as foolish as expecting a shower from clear sky," the North Korean official was quoted as saying.

"It is the historical truth that peace is won and defended only with strength."

In what it referred to as a "bold concession", North Korea offered a nuclear freeze this week in an effort to bring about a second round of six-party talks on the nuclear standoff.

It said it wanted concessions from Washington in return, including an end to sanctions and aid.

The resumption of the six-party talks was expected in December but is now more likely next month or later following an inconclusive first round in Beijing in August.

Powell said Thursday hopes for a new round of talks appeared to be improving, but signalled that US policy was unchanged on not "rewarding" North Korea for bad behaviour.

He said Washington needed an undertaking from Pyongyang that it would abandon its nuclear weapons drive before it would deal with Pyongyang's demands for concessions, including its removal from a State Department list of countries accused of sponsoring terrorism, lifting sanctions and resuming energy aid.

As well as the United States and North Korea, the talks include South Korea, Japan, Russia and China.

WAR.WIRE