ID :
22810
Mon, 10/06/2008 - 06:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/22810
The shortlink copeid
(EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Oct. 6)
Show sincerity
The visit to Pyongyang by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill last week may have resulted in a possible breakthrough in the stalled six-party talks.
Although Hill declined to disclose the content of his discussions with North
Korea during his three-day visit, he said that he had substantive and lengthy
negotiations.
Hill met not only with North Korea's envoy to the six-party talks, Kim Gye-kwan,
but Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chan, and Lt. Gen. Li Chan-bok, the chief military
representative at the truce village of Panmunjeom, as well. This suggests that
the United States and North Korea may have discussed a wide range of bilateral
issues, not limited to the disarmament-for-aid deal.
While Hill remained tight-lipped about the details of his talks in Pyongyang, it
appears that the six-party talks may have gained renewed momentum as a result of
Hill's visit there. Kim Sook, South Korea's envoy to the talks, hinted that there
was some progress made in Pyongyang, saying that he and Hill agreed that there
should be further consultations within the six-party framework possibly within
this month. Kim added that the consultations might even involve the foreign
ministers of South Korea and the United States.
Reports indicate that a compromise on the verification plan may have been
discussed during Hill's visit. Under such a compromise, North Korea would submit
a verification proposal on facilities included in the June declaration of its
nuclear program to China, the six-nation talks host, immediately after which the
United States would tentatively take North Korea off the list of state sponsors
of terrorism. North Korea would also express its intention to cooperate on the
matter of verifying undeclared nuclear sites and activities. This
"action-for-action" would get the six-party process through the second phase of
the North Korean nuclear disarmament deal.
Of course, such a plan still leaves doubt about what to do with the undeclared
North Korean nuclear sites and activities. The original verification protocol
proposed that North Korea submit to a vigorous international standard
verification. The proposal is so comprehensive and stringent that a U.S. nuclear
expert characterized it as being something that only a state defeated in a war
would accept.
Such an intrusive verification would not be acceptable to the highly xenophobic
and secretive North Korea and the six-party process may indeed crumble away if a
compromise is not reached.
North Korea, which has taken actions to reverse the disabling process at its
Yongbyon nuclear facility, did not stop activities even as Hill was in Pyongyang.
Making further progress in the nuclear disarmament deal is contingent upon
building greater credibility among the countries involved. North Korea should
immediately halt its activities to restart the Yongbyon facility if it is sincere
about its commitment to the six-party process.
The visit to Pyongyang by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill last week may have resulted in a possible breakthrough in the stalled six-party talks.
Although Hill declined to disclose the content of his discussions with North
Korea during his three-day visit, he said that he had substantive and lengthy
negotiations.
Hill met not only with North Korea's envoy to the six-party talks, Kim Gye-kwan,
but Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chan, and Lt. Gen. Li Chan-bok, the chief military
representative at the truce village of Panmunjeom, as well. This suggests that
the United States and North Korea may have discussed a wide range of bilateral
issues, not limited to the disarmament-for-aid deal.
While Hill remained tight-lipped about the details of his talks in Pyongyang, it
appears that the six-party talks may have gained renewed momentum as a result of
Hill's visit there. Kim Sook, South Korea's envoy to the talks, hinted that there
was some progress made in Pyongyang, saying that he and Hill agreed that there
should be further consultations within the six-party framework possibly within
this month. Kim added that the consultations might even involve the foreign
ministers of South Korea and the United States.
Reports indicate that a compromise on the verification plan may have been
discussed during Hill's visit. Under such a compromise, North Korea would submit
a verification proposal on facilities included in the June declaration of its
nuclear program to China, the six-nation talks host, immediately after which the
United States would tentatively take North Korea off the list of state sponsors
of terrorism. North Korea would also express its intention to cooperate on the
matter of verifying undeclared nuclear sites and activities. This
"action-for-action" would get the six-party process through the second phase of
the North Korean nuclear disarmament deal.
Of course, such a plan still leaves doubt about what to do with the undeclared
North Korean nuclear sites and activities. The original verification protocol
proposed that North Korea submit to a vigorous international standard
verification. The proposal is so comprehensive and stringent that a U.S. nuclear
expert characterized it as being something that only a state defeated in a war
would accept.
Such an intrusive verification would not be acceptable to the highly xenophobic
and secretive North Korea and the six-party process may indeed crumble away if a
compromise is not reached.
North Korea, which has taken actions to reverse the disabling process at its
Yongbyon nuclear facility, did not stop activities even as Hill was in Pyongyang.
Making further progress in the nuclear disarmament deal is contingent upon
building greater credibility among the countries involved. North Korea should
immediately halt its activities to restart the Yongbyon facility if it is sincere
about its commitment to the six-party process.
