U.S. insists on suspension of energy aid to N. Korea By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (Yonhap) -- The United States insisted Monday that no further energy shipments will be made to North Korea unless the North agrees to a complete protocol for verification of its nuclear facilities.
"We've talked to the other four parties about this issue, and I think, in the
absence of an approved verification protocol, it's going to be hard to go forward
with future fuel shipments," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said. Russia,
China, Japan and South Korea are at the table with the United States in
denuclearization talks with North Korea.
However, the Russian government said last week that it had not agreed to suspend
heavy fuel oil shipments, refuting the U.S. government's claim that all five
nations would cut off energy aid absent a verification regime.
"With Russia as well, I think there's a general understanding that it's going to
be hard for the parties to move forward in meeting those commitments to the North
if it doesn't meet its commitments," the spokesman said. "What I'm saying is,
there was a basic understanding that the North knows what it needs to do."
Wood, however, said there is no written agreement on the suspension of oil
shipments.
"If you're talking about a formal written agreement, no, but there's certainly an
understanding that came out of the discussions that, in the absence of this
verification protocol, it's inconceivable to see that people would go forward in
fulfilling these fuel shipments," the spokesman said. "We're in a process of
action for action."
On North Korea's threat to slow the process to disable its nuclear facilities if
energy shipments discontinue, Wood said, "I'm not going to speculate about what
the North may or may not do. But as far as I know, disablement is continuing."
North Korea's chief nuclear envoy, Kim Kye-gwan, told reporters Saturday that his
government will slow the disablement of its nuclear facilities if the promised
energy aid stops.
Under a nuclear deal signed by the six parties in October last year, North Korea
is supposed to get 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil from the other five parties
in return for disabling its nuclear facilities. About half has so far been
delivered.
The sampling issue has been the source of the latest hiccup in the
more-than-five-year-old talks. The North has balked at allowing inspectors to
take samples from its main nuclear reactor in Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang,
fearing disclosure of its nuclear capability, including the amount of plutonium
for nuclear warheads.
Kim told the latest six-party round in Beijing last week that Pyongyang would not
agree to sampling until the late stages of the dismantlement phase, citing a
hostile U.S. attitude.
Dismantlement is the third and last phase of the aid-for-denuclearization deal.
The six parties are currently discussing the second phase -- disabling of the
North's nuclear facilities.
In the last phase, the North is to get hefty economic aid and diplomatic
recognition by Washington and its Western allies in return for the North's
eventual abandonment of its nuclear ambitions.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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