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South Korea Not Worried by North’s Nuclear Test Threat
South Korea today brushed off suggestions that North Korea might test a nuclear weapon, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Oct. 17). “This is another bargaining chip for negotiations to get the upper hand at the next round of six-way talks,” said South Korean National Security Adviser Ra Jong-yil. North Korea yesterday said that “when an appropriate time comes, the D.P.R.K. will take a measure to open its nuclear deterrent to the public as a physical force and then there will be no need to have any more argument.” Another member of South Korea’s National Security Council called for restraint. “If we overreact, we will be playing into their hands,” the official said. Talks in Pyongyang between North and South Korean diplomats have been stalled since Wednesday over differences on a final statement, according to AFP. The two countries have reportedly agreed to meet early next year. During a Thursday dinner, South Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun repeated his call for a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear crisis. “Hand-shaking is impossible with a clenched fist,” Jeong said (Charles Whelan, Agence France-Presse, Oct. 17). The North-South talks concluded today without progress on the nuclear issue. The two sides issued a brief statement that said the negotiations had included “sincere discussion” (Agence France-Presse I, Oct. 17). U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell also reacted cautiously to the North Korean nuclear announcement. “They have said things like this before,” Powell said. “I just don’t know if they mean it,” he added (Sang-hun Choe, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Oct. 17). A senior Russian official called on North Korea to avoid inflammatory language. “The continuation of six-way talks is the best way to seek a peaceful resolution through negotiations and we expect the interested parties, including the United States and North Korea, to take additional steps towards each other,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Fedotov said. “In this situation, it is very important to desist from statements and actions which would complicate the negotiated resolution of the problem,” he added (Agence France-Presse II, Oct. 17).
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