The top US envoy for Asia said this morning Washington was willing to talk to North Korea and would address its energy shortages if the nuclear crisis could be resolved.
US Assistant Secretary of State Mr James Kelly said: "Once we get beyond nuclear weapons, there may be opportunities with the US, with private investors, with other countries to help North Korea in the energy area".
But Mr Kelly's task is complicated by rising anti-US sentiment in the South, where people are taking a critical look at the half-century relationship with Washington and are keen for more of a say in policy on the Korean peninsula.
"We're going to be talking here with government people over how are some of the best ways to do that," Kelly told a news conference after talks with President-elect Roh Moo-hyun.
Last month, Stalinist North Korea threw out UN weapons inspectors. Moreover, last week, Pyongyang, which the Bush administration suspects of developing nuclear arms, pulled out of a global treaty aimed at preventing the spread of atomic weapons and said it was free to resume missile-firing tests.
It condemned the United States over the weekend - saying its people could disappear in "a sea of fire" and again denying it had ever admitted to a nuclear weapons programme.
Mr Kelly called the hardline anti-US rhetoric and threats to restart missile tests "a little mystifying" and said Pyongyang's diplomats discussed nothing new in weekend talks in New Mexico with the former US ambassador to the UN Mr Bill Richardson.