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South Korea Urges Pyongyang to Return to Talks
South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok said today that North Korea should return to talk on its nuclear program, while the United States indicated that its patience is waning, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, April 4). Pyongyang’s stand that it would not return to the negotiations until Washington rescinds economic penalties is only likely to lead to a harder line by the United States, Lee said. “I see there is a considerable problem in North Korea's judgment. It has to give serious thought to whether that’s a wise decision,” he said. “If North Korea shows a positive attitude after coming back to the six-party talks, it will give rise to some room for other countries to tell the U.S.” not to take such a hard line with the North, Lee added. “If it sticks to what it's doing now, however ... it would undermine pro-dialogue officials in the U.S.” South Korean Foreign Minister Ban expected to discuss the matter in Russia during his trip to Europe that begins tomorrow. U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow said he hoped the issue could be resolved diplomatically. “All U.S. government officials hope this problem will be resolved through negotiation. At the same time, it’s also true that many officials are running out of patience,” he said during an online session with South Koreans. The United States and North Korea could meet next week when officials from the six nations involved in talks meet in Japan for a security conference. The top U.S and North Korean nuclear negotiators are expected to attend (Jae-Soon Chang, Associated Press, April 5). South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon confirmed that Deputy Foreign Minister Chun Young-woo, Seoul’s chief nuclear negotiator, would attend the conference. He would not confirm that North Korea’s nuclear negotiator would be there, but said if he does attend “we expect an opportunity will naturally rise for exchange of opinions between representatives” (Associated Press/OhmyNews.com, April 5).
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