The United States said Tuesday that North Korea was showing it was not even "remotely ready" to resume nuclear talks, despite apparent concessions secured by an unofficial US envoy.

The White House made clear there was no change to US policy, despite an apparent offer by Pyongyang to readmit nuclear inspectors and to hold negotiations on its nuclear program.

President Barack Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs said Pyongyang had over a period of years and different US administrations, failed to match its words with actions, and referred to a recent spike in tensions with Pyongyang.

"We're not going to get a table and a room and have six-party talks just for the feel-good notion of having six-party talks," he said.

"When and if the North Koreans are ever serious about living up to their obligations, then we can think about restarting six-party talks. "But the belligerent actions that the North Koreans have demonstrated over the past many weeks I don't think provide anybody the confidence that they're even remotely ready to resume in a responsible way those talks."

North Korea pulled out of six-nation nuclear disarmament talks also involving the United States, Russia, China, South Korea and Japan in April 2009 and ordered US and UN nuclear inspectors out of the country.

US diplomatic troubleshooter Bill Richardson unveiled apparent concessions by the Pyongyang government after making a visit to the isolated state that the White House stressed was unofficial and independent.

Gibbs said there were no plans for Obama to meet Richardson on his return to the United States. The unofficial envoy is however expected to file a report on his trip to the US government.

Richardson announced on Monday that North Korea had agreed to allow UN nuclear inspectors back into the country and to consider the creation of a three-way military commission with Seoul and the United States to monitor disputed areas.

Pyongyang also agreed to "negotiate a deal for a third party, such as South Korea, to buy fresh-fuel rods from North Korea," Richardson's office announced.

On Tuesday, the outgoing New Mexico governor said in Beijing that Pyongyang had moved in the right direction towards easing tensions with South Korea, but needed to back up that movement with "deeds, not words".

Tensions have been at especially dangerous levels on the Korean peninsula after North Korea bombed a South Korean island on November 23, killing four people.

Also last month, Pyongyang disclosed it had an advanced uranium enrichment plant -- purportedly to serve a peaceful nuclear power program.

earlier related report
S.Korean soldiers on guard to protect Christmas tree
Seoul (AFP) Dec 21, 2010 - South Korean marines were on guard Tuesday to protect a Christmas tree, the latest focus of tensions with North Korea following Seoul's artillery drill near the disputed sea border a day earlier.

A South Korean church switched on Christmas lights in the shape of a tree atop a military-controlled hill near the tense land border -- the first such display for seven years.

"This is purely for religious purposes," pastor Koh Young-Yong told AFP, adding the ceremony drew about 300 church members.

The event came a day after South Korea staged a live-fire exercise on the border island of Yeonpyeong, which was bombarded by North Korea last month.

The North forswore retaliation despite previously vowing a deadly response to the South's drill. But officials were concerned the Christmas tree could become a target for attack.

When asked by lawmakers if South Korea would fire back in case of a North Korean attack on the Christmas tree, Defence Minister Kim Kwan-Jin replied: "We are ready to retaliate resolutely so that the source of gunfire will be removed."

A defence ministry spokesman said: "Marines are maintaining the highest level of alertness around the hill," citing the North's continued threats to strike border propaganda facilities.

The 155-metre (511-foot) hill, about three kilometres (two miles) from the border, is within range of North Korean gunfire.

The two Koreas in 2004 reached a deal to halt official-level cross-border propaganda and the South stopped its annual Christmas tree illumination ceremony.

The communist North had accused the South of displaying Christmas lights to spread religion among its people and soldiers. The North's constitution provides for religious freedom, but the US State Department says this does not in practice exist.

The South has partially resumed a cross-border government propaganda campaign following the March sinking of a South Korean warship and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong, which killed four people including two civilians.

Soon after last month's artillery attack, the South's military reportedly floated 400,000 leaflets across the border denouncing the North's regime.

The South has also installed loudspeakers along the land border but has not yet switched them on. They are designed to blast anti-regime and pro-democracy messages deep into the border region.

North Korea has threatened to open fire on the speakers if they are switched on, and also to fire at locations from where leaflets are released.

Private activist groups frequently float huge balloons across the heavily fortified frontier. These carry tens of thousands of leaflets denouncing the regime of Kim Jong-Il.