The U.S. says North Korea’s recent incendiary remarks against South Korea won't help the six-party nuclear talks.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the remarks were not directly related to the multilateral dialogue. But he added they would have a negative effect.

Casey said the U.S. wants the six-party process to get North Korea to fully disclose its nuclear activities.

He said that all countries concerned should try to persuade Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear programs under the six-party framework.

Meanwhile, the New York Times called Pyongyang's warning this Sunday “the harshest in years.”

In a commentary by its state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Korea threatened to reduce South Korea to ashes at even the slightest provocation by Seoul.