or calling Pyongyang one of the world's "brutal regimes," saying the remark hurts efforts to build mutual trust to resolve their nuclear dispute. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the remark showed the United States lacks consistency in its policy toward Pyongyang, apparently referring to a softer approach Washington has taken in recent months in dealing with the communist regime.
"If this is a view of the highest U.S. authority, how can we assess the frequently changing U.S. viewpoint on (North Korea) and how can we discuss mutual trust that is key" to resolving the nuclear standoff and improving bilateral relations, KCNA said in a commentary.
Friday's KCNA commentary is believed to be the North's first response to the comments.
At a U.N. General Assembly address last month, Bush described Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Iran as "brutal regimes (that) deny their people the fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration (of Human Rights)."
The Bush administration has significantly softened its policy toward North Korea, after Pyongyang conducted its first-ever nuclear test last October. The change in the U.S. approach facilitated progress in six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program.
Pyongyang shut down its main nuclear reactor in July and promised recently to disable it by year's end. A U.S. team of nuclear experts has been in North Korea since Thursday to map out a disablement plan.
In return, the North was promised economic aid and political concessions, including removing the North from the U.S. blacklist of countries sponsoring terrorism.
"Even from now on, the United States should shift its attention to elements negatively affecting the six-party talks ... and maintain consistency in its policy toward" the North, KCNA said, referring to the arms talks involving China, Japan, the two Koreas, the U.S. and Russia.
