Deadlocked nuclear talks likely to end without deal

BEIJING, Dec. 10 (Yonhap) -- Envoys from the U.S. and its allies failed Wednesday to coax North Korea into agreeing on sampling and other scientific measures necessary to inspect its nuclear facilities, darkening prospects for any new deal.

This week's six-nation talks are one of the last opportunities for the Bush
administration to save a troubled aid-for-denuclearization deal it signed in
2007, despite strong opposition from hard-liners in Washington.
"We didn't make any progress today," top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher
Hill told reporters after the third-day marathon session focused on a
Chinese-presented draft of a verification protocol. "We've had considerable
discussions about the issues, and I can't say there were any breakthroughs."
South Korea's top envoy, Kim Sook, echoed Hill's remarks and doubted the
possibility of an agreement, even though the talks may be extended into Thursday.
"It was a long day, but I have nothing to tell you in terms of progress," Kim
said. "There are several core contents in a (planned) verification protocol,
especially scientific procedures, including sampling. North Korea said it can't
accept that. It gave fundamental and comprehensive reasons."
North Korea, which conducted an underground nuclear test in 2006, reiterated its
claim that it is a nuclear state, although the international community does not
recognize it as such.
Kim said Pyongyang refused to move a step forward from the agreement made in the
previous round of talks held in July, in which it agreed to grant inspectors
access to "facilities, review of documents, interviews with technical personnel
and other measures unanimously agreed upon among the six parties."
The verification protocol now being planned will provide more detailed guidelines
on which inspection measures will be used. The U.S. and its allies emphasize that
"sampling and other forensic activities" are crucial to thorough verification, in
addition to the other three agreed-upon measures.
"There was little progress from the three things agreed upon in July," Kim said,
adding it will be difficult for host China to offer a draft that is modified from
the first one distributed on Tuesday.
The South Korean and U.S. envoys said they are unsure whether the talks will be
extended into Thursday.
This round of six-way talks was initially supposed to finish on Wednesday, but
host China has not yet called an end to it. China is expected to inform the other
parties on Thursday morning on whether talks will be continued or not, envoys
said.