Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – North Korea has ordered its soldiers and citizens to prepare for wartime mobilisation, a senior South Korean intelligence official said yesterday as the parties wait for China to decide whether it will take part in talks with the United States, Russia, Japan and South Korea to discuss ways to get North Korea back to the six-nations talks.

The order for full mobilisation, which was delivered to military and civilian leaders just after midnight Sunday, came four hours before the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the North's arms and missile programmes. It is the first in 13 years, and was not broadcast by radio or television. In March 1993, readiness was increased when North Korea pulled out of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun convened a meeting of his security officials today to discuss the mobilisation order and other issues stemming from the UN resolution.

The order was given in Kim Jong-il's name, as an effort to rally the nation behind him.

It is still not clear whether China has made a decision on whether or not to hold a "five-way" meeting as proposed by the United States and South Korea. China has not yet responded to the proposal formulated by South Korean envoy Chun Young-woo and his US counterpart Christopher Hill who, on Monday, suggested a new format of talks that excludes Pyongyang.

"In order to prevent a situation in which the talks do not reopen for a long period of time and to maintain the momentum of the six-party process, we agreed to pursue a five-party meeting," the Yonhap news agency quoted the South Korean Embassy in Beijing as saying.

Mr Chun said that "if the six-party talks can't be held, I think it's better to hold the five-party talks, rather than not having any talks at all".

A diplomatic source in Seoul interpreted Beijing's reluctance as a sign that it does not like a situation where others take the lead in trying to solve the security issue in Northeast Asia.

"Even though Beijing is reluctant to hold the five-way meeting now, it will likely give a green light if it can grab the chairman's position," the source said.

However, he added that chances of holding a five-way meeting look "very slim" now, and neither Chun nor Hill would give a clear answer on the timing of holding the five-way talks.