U.S. not seeking to topple North Korea government: envoy

Stephen Bosworth, U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea, speaks during the Korea Society annual dinner in New York June 9, 2009.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States will do what is necessary for the security of its allies but has no plans to invade North Korea or overthrow its government by force, Washington's special envoy, Stephen Bosworth, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the annual dinner of the Korea Society in New York, Bosworth said North Korea's recent missile and nuclear tests were provocative and undermined its own security.

He said North Korea's actions "require that we expand our consideration of new responses, including our force posture and extended deterrence options," but he rejected North Korea's assertion that it was reacting to U.S. hostility.

"We have no intention to invade North Korea or change its regime through force," Bosworth said, urging Pyongyang to return to six-party talks with Washington, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea. Those five countries have been trying for years to persuade the impoverished North to give up its efforts to build a nuclear arsenal in return for massive aid.

Bosworth said Washington was also open to bilateral dialogue to achieve the goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and the normalization of relations with Pyongyang.

"Continuing to threaten and alienate its neighbors denies North Korea the security and respect it claims to be seeking," Bosworth said. "The United States will do what it must do to provide for our security and that of our allies."

"Notwithstanding North Korea's recent actions, we and the other participants in the (six-party) talks remain open to meaningful dialogue and serious negotiations," he said.

"North Korea should be shown a clear path toward acceptance in the international community."

Bosworth also appealed to Pyongyang on humanitarian grounds to release two U.S. journalists arrested in March and sentenced on Monday to 12 years hard labor.

Efforts by the United States and Japan to expand sanctions to punish North Korea for its May nuclear test failed to produce a deal on Tuesday in the U.N. Security Council, where China and Russia have been reluctant to provoke Pyongyang.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)