US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that the United States has no immediate plans to ask the United Nations to take actions on the nuclear issue related to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"We have no immediate plans to ask for action on the part of the United Nations," Powell told reporters in a joint appearance with visiting South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Young-Kwan.

The secretary was responding to a question whether the United States is prepared to bring the DPRK nuclear issue to the UN Security Council.

"I think the nuclear program is before the Security Council. It was referred there by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). And we remain in consultation with Security Council colleagues on it," Powell said.

The top US diplomat reiterated that Washington seeks a peaceful solution to the DPRK nuclear issue and has no intention to invade the Asian country.

The US side is working in concert with all of the DPRK's neighbors -- Russia, South Korea, China and Japan -- to find a peaceful solution, he said.

Powell urged the DPRK to understand the seriousness of US position and its proposals and respond in a serious way and not with "rhetorical threats."

The secretary said he and Yoon discussed the six-party talks held in Beijing last week as well as other issues such as US troops' stationing in South Korea.

He said that the United States will make as close consultation as possible with South Korea on the DPRK nuclear issue.

Yoon, on his part, said that he and Powell evaluated the results of the six-party talks in Beijing and discussed about the future direction of the dialogue.

"We agreed to have very close cooperation with each other to make the six-party talks successful in the future," the South Korean minister said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 4, 2003)