A U.S. Internet newspaper says President Roh Moo-hyun's recent comments, pressing the United States for a more accommodating stance toward North Korea, appear to be aimed at hardline U.S. administration officials.

Cybercast News Service on Tuesday quoted the South Korean President as saying that the world cannot necessarily conclude that North Korea has been trying to develop nuclear weapons to attack others or to support terrorism. Roh made the comments in a speech to the World Affairs Council during a stopover in Los Angeles on Friday.

The paper also said Roh criticized those who he said appeared to be anticipating the collapse of the North Korean regime.

In a recent speech in Tokyo, U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton accused North Korea of being the world's foremost proliferator of ballistic missiles and related technology to rogue states and hostile regimes.