Japan, South Korea, United States Agree on North Korea Plan

Japan, South Korea and the United States have reached consensus on a proposal to end a nuclear standoff with North Korea, the New York Times reported today (see GSN, Dec. 5).

The proposal calls for a “coordinated” set of actions in which the three nations, plus China and Russia would offer North Korea a nonaggression pact as Pyongyang begins the verifiable dismantlement of its nuclear weapons program. A second round of talks among the six nations will probably not take place this month, according to U.S. and Asian officials.

A significant omission from the proposal is any demand for North Korea to return to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. At a later date the United States might seek such a move, according to a U.S. official, but right now that demand “may be too much” for North Korea.

The proposal also insists that the North Korean dismantlement be verified by teams of U.S. and Asian inspectors. The inspections would include access to a possible uranium enrichment site, which was detected by U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials last year.

“I suspect that’s a deal breaker for the North Koreans,” said a senior U.S. official, “but we’ll see” (David Sanger, New York Times, Dec. 8).

The proposal appears to conflict with earlier North Korean demands for “simultaneous” concessions.

“Our concept was staged, or step-by-step. We now call it coordinated steps,” said a senior South Korean official involved in North Korean policy (Paul Eckert, Reuters, Dec. 8).

The proposal will be sent to Beijing and it will be forwarded on to Pyongyang, according to South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck.

“The next few days are crucial. I am neither optimistic or pessimistic,” he said (Sang-hun Choe, Associated Press/Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dec. 7).

China, meanwhile, is calling for more frequent six-nation talks to defuse the standoff.

“We view China’s proposal to make six-way talks regular ones as very reasonable,” Lee said (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, Dec. 8).

Meanwhile, North Korean officials will hold talks this week with the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization over the suspended construction on two light-water nuclear reactors, according to a South Korean official.

The talks will include “various issues including how to preserve facilities and equipment during the suspension,” the official said (Associated Press/CNN.com, Dec. 8).

In addition, senior European Union diplomats are beginning a four-day visit to Pyongyang today to discuss the nuclear crisis (Korea Herald, Dec. 8).

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