"I have no way of knowing what might conceivably finally persuade the people in the north to behave in a way that is more consistent with the behavior of other countries in the world," he said.

"My hope is that the countries in the six party talks will continue to be persuasive, try to be more persuasive with them and that they will see it is in their interest to enter those discussions," he said.

Rumsfeld's comments were in response to questions following his speech to an Asian security conference here in which he warned that Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions threaten the security not just of the region, but of the world.

Given North Korea's record in selling ballistic missile technologies, as well as trafficking in illegal drugs and counterfeit currency, he said "one has to assume that they will sell anything and they would be willing to sell nuclear technologies".

North Korea has boycotted the six-party talks with the United States, South Korea, Japan, China, and Russia for the past year in protest against what it regards as a hostile US policy.

"You ask what are the alternatives (to the six party talks.) Well it seems to me that is a question for the world to ask," Rumsfeld said.

"It requires the United Nations to ask itself if it wants to have a role in trying to avoid allowing the kind of proliferation that is threatened. No one country can do that. It requires the cooperation of many countries," he said.

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