U.S., Chinese Leaders Discuss North Korea

North Korea must begin meeting its denuclearization commitments, the leaders of China and the United States agreed yesterday, nearly a month after Pyongyang missed its first deadline under an agreement between the nations in the six-party talks (see GSN, May 9).

President George W. Bush spoke by telephone with Hu Jintao while flying on Air Force One, Agence France-Presse reported.  They “agreed on the need for North Korea to move forward in implementing its obligations under the February 13 agreement and agreed to work closely together towards that end,” said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

North Korea by April 14 was scheduled to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and to allow international inspectors to monitor the process.  That has not happened, while Pyongyang waits to collect $25 million in funds that had been frozen at Banco Delta Asia in Macau.  The money is now apparently available, but North Korea has not been able to find a new home for the money (Agence France-Presse I/ChannelNewsAsia.com, May 10).

Banks so far have been reluctant to accept the money, which is seen as tainted after being linked by Washington to counterfeiting and other illicit North Korean financial activities.

The United States is considering a North Korean request to transfer the money through a U.S. bank to another institution, AFP reported.  The Treasury Department has final say on the request, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.  “Everybody wants to see this transaction completed, over and done with, so that we can move on,” he said.

Japanese leaders said yesterday that they could employ additional sanctions against North Korea if the regime does not quickly begin denuclearization.

“We will soon, maybe within a week or so, talk with the United States about how we have had enough,” Foreign Minister Taro Aso told lawmakers.

Tokyo “won’t stay patient forever,” said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“If North Korea does not carry out what it had promised, we will have to think about a variety of options,” he told reporters (Agence France-Presse II/Spacewar.com, May 10).

A top North Korean official today directed blame for the delay at the United States, AFP reported.

“We are taking steps as agreed upon, but the United States is acting in a two-faced way, causing the delay,” said No. 2 leader Kim Yong Nam (Agence France-Presse III/Spacewar.com, May 10).

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