After winning November's presidential election, Republican Bush will be sworn in for a second term on January 20.

"It is hard to give a clear-cut answer to the question about exactly when (talks will resume)," said Roh, who has repeatedly urged North Korea to return to the talks.

"In general, the talks are expected to resume after President Bush is inaugurated for his second term and the US foreign policy team is lined up."

Bush has already named his national security advisor Condoleezza Rice to head his foreign policy team in place of outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The South Korean president, who has steadfastly opposed using threats or pressure to bring North Korea to the dialogue table, said he remained convinced that six-party talks were the best way to end the standoff.

After attending three rounds of inconclusive talks, which also include the United States, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia, North Korea boycotted a fourth round scheduled for last September in Beijing.

"I think the North Korean nuclear issue should and will be resolved within the framework of six-party talks," Roh said at a New Year press conference.

He said that despite little progress from the six-party process, he had no plans for an inter-Korean summit as part of the strategy to end the nuclear dispute.

Roh, a former human rights lawyer who took office in February 2003 after promising to pursue reconciliation with North Korea, said he would attend a summit if North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il requested one.

"My position has been clear. If my counterpart wants it, I have a desire to do so regardless of when, where and what topics to discuss," he said.

"If there were real prospects (for a summit at this time), I would propose holding a summit, but I think the chances are low."

A 2000 Pyongyang summit between Roh's predecessor Kim Dae-Jung and the North Korean leader ushered in a new era of inter-Korean engagement marked by growing economic cooperation.

At the summit, the North Korean leader said he would attend a return summit in South Korea at an "appropriate time".

However, the nuclear standoff which erupted in October 2002 has slowed reconciliation and increased tension between Pyongyang and the outside world. Ties between the two Koreas have also cooled.

Washington has demanded that North Korea scrap its nuclear weapons drive without preconditions. Pyongyang is holding out for rewards before eliminating its atomic programmes.

North Korea has declared it will wait and see how Bush's second-term administration shapes its North Korea policy before deciding whether to return to the nuclear forum.

But South Korean officials have taken the optimistic view that North Korea would return to dialogue at an early date.

"We are cautiously optimistic North Korea will agree to hold talks at a certain time after the inauguration," Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon said Wednesday.

He said North Korea should not expect any concessions from Washington before it returns to dialogue.

Washington may be ready for a switch in its negotiating team, however, Newspapers here reported that US ambassador to South Korea Christopher Hill may succeed James Kelly as assistant secretary of state for East Asia, who also serves as top US envoy to the six-party talks.

Ban said that if confirmed, it would be a positive development for six-party talks. Hill enjoys a good reputation in Seoul.

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