N. Korea says it will not sign verification regime now: Hill

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has said that it will sign an
agreement on a verification protocol for its nuclear facilities but not now, the
chief U.S. nuclear envoy said Tuesday.

"North Koreans have never said they cannot agree to what is in the written
instrument or what was (made) in oral assurances, but they don't want to do the
verification protocol now, whether because they are waiting for the next
administration, or whether just because they don't want to do it now, or whether
they should do it in phase three," Christopher Hill told a forum at the Asia
Society here.
The U.S. assistant secretary of state was explaining the outcome of the latest
round of the six-party talks on ending North Korea's nuclear ambitions held in
Beijing last week.
Hill's North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan, did not agree to the verification
regime including taking samples from its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, north of
its capital Pyongyang, thwarting Hill's last-minute effort to keep the momentum
of the multilateral talks just one month before the inauguration of the new Obama
administration.
Hill also said the U.S. has been "looking for a comprehensive deal" on the
provision of heavy fuel oil to North Korea, apparently meaning linking the
promised fuel shipments to North Korea to the North's agreement to the
verification protocol.
China and Russia, however, rebuffed the U.S. government's claim that the other
parties to the six-party talks had agreed to suspension of heavy fuel oil to the
North unless the North signs a verification protocol.
Under a multilateral deal signed in September in 2005 and reaffirmed in an
ensuing series of agreements, the North is to get 1 million tons of heavy fuel
oil in return for the disablement of its nuclear facilities. About half has been
delivered.
North Korea recently threatened to slow the disabling process if energy aid is
suspended.
Hill dismissed the criticism that the six-party talks failed to produce tangible
results and served as a forum in which the North bought time in reinforcing its
nuclear capabilities.
"Since the Sept. 05 joint statement, they have not produced one gram of
plutonium," he said. "I think the six-party process can take some credit for
that."
He said what he regretted is that the six-party process had failed to touch on
the nuclear weapons the North is supposed to have.
"What we've not done yet is to get the North Koreans to complete what they are
required to do according to the Sept. 05 joint statement which is to give up all
the nuclear weapons and the nuclear programs," he said.
North Korea is believed to have produced several nuclear warheads since it
detonated its first nuclear device in 2006, according to U.S. intelligence
authorities.
Hill, however, said that once the verification protocol is agreed upon, the
international community will be able to verify if the 30 kilograms declared by
the North is the correct amount the North has so far produced.
After that, North Korea will be able to understand that kerping the 30 kilograms
will be too costly for them as it prevents them from signing a peace treaty,
getting diplomatic recognition from the U.S., obtaining international financial
assistance and signing bilateral assistance programs.
"North Korea will come to the understanding that most countries in the world come
down to the understanding that you don't need nuclear weapons to protect
yourselves, you need good relations with your neighbors to protect yourselves,"
he said.
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)