Updated

North Korea (search) on Sunday accused the U.S. military of conducting more than 1,200 spy flights over the communist country from January to June and claimed that Washington was looking for a chance to launch an attack.

The U.S. military used U-2, RC-135 (search), and other reconnaissance aircraft for the flights, North Korea's official news agency KCNA said.

"The fact clearly shows that the U.S. imperialists are looking for a chance to launch a pre-emptive attack on the DPRK while stepping up their preparations for a war behind the curtain of the six-party talks," KCNA said. DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea (search), North Korea's official name.

North Korea regularly makes such accusations. The U.S. military does not comment on North Korean claims about spy flights, although it acknowledges monitoring the North's military activity.

Efforts are under way to continue talks aimed at persuading North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons program. The six-nation negotiations include the United States, Russia, China, Japan and the two Koreas.

Three rounds of six-party talks were held in Beijing, but ended without a breakthrough.

Washington keeps 37,000 troops stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against the North's 1.1-million-strong force -- a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.