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Rival Koreas meet again; status uncertain
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea brought up North Korea's worrisome nuclear program again as the countries were wrapping up their first face-to-face talks in 10 months Thursday, with the South trying to downplay prospects for getting Pyongyang to rejoin six-nation talks on the issue. Instead, Seoul appeared to be working to salvage some good will, saying that normalizing strained relations was the top priority.
"We are not at a stage to make a hasty conclusion," Rhee said. "We are trying. We will have to have more consultations." The North Korean border town of Kaesong was abuzz with activity as the chief delegates met briefly, then turned over work on bridging gaps to groups of lower-level officials. "An agreement will be reached," North Korea's chief negotiator Kim Man Gil said. The two sides had lunch together in a sign that earlier acrimony had eased. Plans for a group meal on Tuesday had been scrapped. But getting results on the South's goal of persuading the North to return to six-nation negotiations on denuclearization was increasingly unlikely. Rhee had said he pressed Pyongyang's delegation on the nuclear issue Monday and Tuesday, reporting that he told them that Seoul "could not tolerate" nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula. But he said the North only listened without comment. South Korea's Yonhap news agency, quoting an unidentified Seoul official, said the North did not want any mention of the nuclear issue in the final statement. Concern over North Korea's nuclear program intensified last week when Pyongyang said it had taken a step that could lead to harvesting weapons-grade plutonium. U.S. officials warned of unspecified action if the North conducts a nuclear test. South Korea has found itself walking a tightrope during the talks, trying to appease domestic pressure for some improvement in relations with the North, while international allies pressed for action on the nuclear issue. But the North has persistently resisted discussing the nuclear issue with the South and wants direct talks with Washington instead. The U.S. says the negotiations must be multilateral, because the issue affects other countries. "As the North Korean nuclear issue is at a crucial phase, the resumption of six-party talks is very important for peace on the Korean Peninsula," South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon told a news conference Wednesday, referring to negotiations involving the United States, China, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas. North Korea has boycotted the negotiations since a third round ended last June. On Monday, South Korea promised a major new "proposal" if the North returns to the bargaining table. No details on the proposal were given, but South Korean media speculated that Seoul would offer massive aid to the North. North Korea claimed in February that it has nuclear weapons and said it would indefinitely boycott arms talks until Washington drops its "hostile" policy. It said last week it would strengthen its nuclear arsenal, and that it had removed spent fuel rods from a reactor — a possible step toward extracting weapons-grade plutonium. U.S. officials reported last week that spy satellites spotted construction of
a tunnel and a reviewing stand in North Korea — possible indications of a coming
nuclear test. South Korean officials have dismissed such reports as lacking firm
evidence. |
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![South Korean Vice Unification Minister Rhee Bong-jo, right, walks with his North Korean counterpart Kim Man Gil before their meeting at the North Korean border city of Kaesong, Thursday, May 19, 2005. The two Koreas on Wednesday extended their first direct talks in 10 months for an additional day as South Korea tried to convince the communist North to return to the nuclear bargaining table. [AP]](xin_55050219133781141725.jpg)
