May 31 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. State Department criticized a former envoy who said North Korea isn't planning to give up its nuclear bombs or weapons-grade plutonium, breaching the six- nation agreement aimed at denuclearizing the communist nation.

Former North Korea policy coordinator Charles ``Jack'' Pritchard, who heads the Korea Economic Institute in Washington, met in Pyongyang last month with regime officials who made it clear they want light-water reactors in return for destroying key nuclear plants, South Korea's Yonhap News reported on May 29.

``With all due respect to Mr. Pritchard, he's a former government official. He's not involved in the six-party talks,'' State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters in Washington yesterday. ``I think the secretary, the president, Chris Hill have all made clear that we expect the North Koreans to provide us a declaration that meets the requirements of the six parties.''

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, who was visiting Moscow yesterday, declined to specify a date when representatives of the six nations, including South Korea, China, Japan and Russia, will next meet nor when North Korea may deliver a list of all its nuclear materials and programs.

``There's a tremendous industry in this town of former officials who all like to, in some ways, pretend they're probably closer to the action than they currently are,'' Casey said, according to the department's transcripts.

Hill met North Korean counterpart Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan in Beijing prior to his Moscow visit. Kim Sook, South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator to the talks, also met the North Korean envoy in Beijing yesterday, Yonhap News reported, citing South Korean government officials if didn't identify. They declined to say what was discussed, Yonhap said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Heejin Koo in Seoul at hjkoo@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 30, 2008 22:47 EDT