Speaking after conferring separately with counterparts from China, Russia, Japan and South Korea -- US partners in the six-nation talks on North Korea -- Rice said it was unclear whether Pyongyang was committed to disarmament.

"The North Koreans need to have a different attitude and a different approach when they come to the next round," Rice told reporters at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the South Korean city of Busan.

She expressed disappointment with Pyongyang's attitude in the last round of talks in Beijing that ended in stalemate last week after North Korea suddenly raised new demands.

"I think the jury is out on whether the North Koreans are prepared to do what they need to do, which is to get serious about dismantlement and verification obligations that they undertook," she said.

"Thus far, I think the round that just ended did not have the kind of engagement on that issue from the North Koreans that we might have expected."

President George W. Bush, speaking in Japan while en route to the APEC summit, called for a "comprehensive diplomatic effort from all the countries involved, backed by firm resolve" to press the North Koreans.

At a previous round of talks in September, the parties issued a joint statement of principles in which North Korea promised to scrap its nuclear programs in exchange for energy assistance and other benefits.

But a day later North Korea insisted it would not dismantle its nuclear arsenal before the United States supplied it with a light-water atomic reactor to generate electricity.

The United States says North Korea must disarm first.

At last week's talks in Beijing North Korea raised a new obstacle, accusing Washington of breaching the September agreement by imposing sanctions on its firms.

Rice said the North Koreans remained fixed on their demands for a light-water reactor up front. She did not know when the negotiations would resume but said it could be before the end of the year.

"Essentially, we are all on the same page," she said. "The next one (round of discussions) needs to have the North Koreans come seriously prepared to talk about dismantlement and verification.

"I don't think there is going to be a long hiatus. Nobody is anticipating the kind of hiatus that we had for a year or something like that."

The six party talks started in August 2003. After three rounds North Korea broke off discussions for 13 months before they were restarted in July of this year.

South Korea said Tuesday officials were working on a separate statement to be issued by APEC leaders including US President George W. Bush after their summit on Saturday. It would call for progress in the six-nation talks.

However China has indicated it is reluctant for the issue to be discussed here. "This issue can be completely discussed and negotiated within the framework of the six-party talks in Beijing," Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said Tuesday.

The nuclear crisis flared in October 2002 after the United States accused North Korea of running a secret uranium-enrichment program.

The North responded by throwing out UN International Atomic Energy Agency weapons inspectors and abandoning the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

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