North Korea has rejected President Bush's renewed offer of dialogue, calling the American leader "a politically backward child."

North Korea's foreign ministry issued a statement Friday accusing Washington of wanting to change Pyongyang's political system by force of arms.

It was the first reaction to Mr. Bush's visit to South Korea earlier this week, during which he repeated an offer to open dialogue with the North to resolve concerns over Pyongyang's weapons program.

During a visit Wednesday to the demilitarized zone that divides the two Koreas, Mr. Bush said the United States has no intention of invading North Korea. However, he reaffirmed his skepticism about the leadership of Kim Jong Il, calling his government a despotic regime that builds weapons of mass destruction, while starving its own people.

Mr. Bush offered to resume talks with the North after South Korea expressed concern that his description of North Korea as part of an "axis of evil", along with Iraq and Iran, would harm relations between the two Koreas.

On Thursday, Mr. Bush asked Chinese President Jiang Zemin to use his influence with North Korea to help revitalize talks.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters, AP and AFP.

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