US doesn't see 'any prospect' for diplomatic breakthrough as North Korea plays 'game of risk'

By Julian Pecquet - 01/28/13 04:30 PM ET

The State Department's special envoy on North Korea ended a week-long trip to northeast Asia on Monday with an unusually stark warning about the repercussions of the reclusive country moving forward with plans to test a nuclear weapon.

Glyn Davies issued the warning in Japan after meeting with officials in China and South Korea as part of a U.S. delegation initially aimed at renewing diplomatic engagement. Those plans were scrapped, however, after North Korea vowed Thursday to conduct another nuclear test and threatened the United States in retaliation for a new round of U.N. sanctions.

“We came out to the region [hoping to find a way forward diplomatically] but instead we find a North Korea that seems bent on playing a game of risk,” Davies told reporters in Japan. “This is very dangerous. We'd like them to step away, step back from this kind of provocative stance and enable us to get back to a diplomatic process.

“But I have to be honest with you, as a diplomat I don't see any prospect for a diplomatic process in the immediate future, as long as North Korea continues this belligerent and provocative behavior and language.”

The delegation included White House point-man on North Korea policy Sydney Seiler and the State Department's envoy to the six-party talks about the country's nuclear program, Clifford Hart.

Davies said the nations he visited were on the same page.

“Of course, we discussed sanctions in South Korea, we discussed sanctions in Beijing, and we discussed sanctions here [in Japan],” he said. “And we agreed in all three capitols that it's very important that we fulfill the sanctions commitments contained in the recently passed United Nations Security Council resolution. Only by doing that can we prevent North Korea from obtaining the materials it needs to carry forward its weapons of mass destruction program, and prevent North Korea from proliferating technologies that are dangerous to the entire world.”

North Korea has previously conducted nuclear weapons tests in 2006 and 2009. In December, the country successfully launched a rocket that could put the United States within range of its weapons program.