North Korea arms talks at stalled

North Korea's pledge that it will not give up its nuclear weapons without receiving a nuclear reactor for generating power stalled six-nation talks on Pyongyang's atomic programs.

"We're in a bit of a standoff at this point," said the chief U.S. delegate to the talks, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill.

Hill said no progress was made Thursday because Pyongyang was demanding that it get a reactor before dismantling its nuclear program.

North Korea "not for the first time, has chosen to isolate itself," Hill said. The country "has a rather sad and long history of making the wrong decision on things."

Still, Hill and other delegates said the talks would continue, with no end date set.

The United States has said giving such a reactor to the North is out of the question, given the cost and the communist nation's history of deceit over its pursuit of nuclear technology to build weapons, the AP reports.