Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea said the United States must make a decision on talks between the two countries, a condition set by the regime in Pyongyang to rejoin multilateral negotiations aimed at ending its nuclear weapons program.

“If the U.S. is not ready to have a face-to-face meeting, we will go our own way,” the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing a foreign ministry spokesman. “It’s time for the U.S. to make a determination” as the North has already clarified its position.

The U.S. wants to bring North Korea back to multinational talks with China, South Korea, Japan and Russia. North Korea said in April that it was abandoning the six-party talks for good after the United Nations Security Council condemned the country for launching a missile over Japan. North Korea tested a nuclear weapon on May 25.

Since then, Kim Jong Il’s regime has shown signs of softening its stance.

Last month, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao spent three days in the North, where he said the nuclear issue occupied four of the 10 hours of discussions he had with leaders including Kim. During that visit, Kim said he would be willing to return to six-party talks, depending on the outcome of bilateral negotiations with the U.S.

The administration of President Barack Obama responded by saying it was willing to hold bilateral negotiations that lead North Korea to “complete denuclearization.”

Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special representative for North Korean policy, may visit Pyongyang late this month, Japanese newspaper Daily Yomiuri said last week, citing unidentified sources. U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly denied any decision had been made.

Unthinkable Dream

The North Korean government in a letter to the United Nations dated Oct. 1 said that dismantling its nuclear weapons is “unthinkable even in a dream,” and that it won’t disarm unless the United States does.

North Korea and the U.S. should sit “facing each other” to find out “a reasonable solution,” the KCNA quoted the foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

Last week, North Korean nuclear negotiator Ri Gun held talks with American counterpart Sung Kim in the U.S.

There was “no practical discussion” in the meeting with regard to setting up bilateral talks, KCNA said.

The U.S. and North Korea need to clear their “hostile relationship” before any meaningful progress can be made in the six-party talks, the news agency said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Seonjin Cha in Seoul at scha2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 1, 2009 22:51 EST