North Korea said on Monday it could not attend the second phase of the fourth round of six-party talks formerly scheduled for this week, but indicated it might return to the talks in mid-September.

Also on Monday, North Korea's official news agency KCNA accused the United States of sabotaging the smooth resumption of talks.

According to a KCNA broadcast, the US appointed an "envoy for the human rights issue of North Korea" and set in motion the reactionary Radio Free Asia to launch a massive distorted propaganda program about the plight of "defectors from the North".

"We swear that we regard this as an absurd and foolish attempt to overthrow the system of North Korea at any cost by adding the human rights racket to the nuclear issue," KCNA broadcasted.

"The six-party talks were delayed a little more than one year as the US demolished the very foundation of the talks by disregarding and disrespecting its dialogue partner. The US is now repeating this folly. This is tantamount to urging North Korea to reconsider its approach to the talks," it added.

The fourth round of six-party talks began on July 26 in Beijing and adjourned on August 7. The six parties had formerly agreed to resume the second phase of the talks this week.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2005)