DATE=12/9/97 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-223905 TITLE=KOREA TALKS / FIRST DAY (L) BYLINE=MAX RUSTON DATELINE=GENEVA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A FIRST DAY OF KOREA PEACE TALKS TOOK PLACE TODAY (TUESDAY) IN GENEVA, MARKING THE RESUMPTION OF A PEACE PROCESS STARTED MORE THAN FOUR DECADES AGO. AS V-O-A'S MAX RUSTON REPORTS FROM GENEVA, THE TALKS ARE ALREADY BEING DESCRIBED AS A SUCCESS, DESPITE THE APPARENT ABSENCE OF ANY SPECIFIC AGREEMENTS. TEXT: THE FIRST DAY OF TALKS LASTED MORE THAN SEVEN HOURS. THE MEETING BEGAN WITH NEGOTIATORS FROM THE FOUR PARTIES -- NORTH KOREA, SOUTH KOREA, THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA -- READING OPENING STATEMENTS, PRESENTING THEIR LONG-RANGE GOALS FOR THE TALKS. NORTH KOREA SAID IT HOPES TO ESTABLISH A SEPARATE PEACE TREATY WITH THE UNITED STATES AND CONVINCE WASHINGTON TO REMOVE ITS 37-THOUSAND TROOPS FROM SOUTH KOREA. AND IN A RARE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SOUTH KOREA, NORTH KOREA SAID IT HOPES TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA THROUGH TALKS WITH SEOUL. SOUTH KOREA CALLED FOR AN EASING OF TENSION ON THE HIGHLY MILITARIZED PENINSULA AND SAID IT HOPES THE TALKS WILL ACHIEVE THEIR PRIMARY GOAL -- THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PEACE TREATY TO REPLACE THE 1953 ARMISTICE THAT ENDED FIGHTING IN THE KOREAN WAR. CHINA SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF NORTH KOREA'S MAIN OBJECTIVE IN CALLING FOR BETTER TIES BETWEEN NORTH KOREA AND THE UNITED STATES. IT ALSO CALLED FOR A NEW POST-COLD-WAR PHASE IN DEALING WITH THE KOREAN SITUATION. U-S OFFICIALS DID NOT MAKE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE FIRST DAY OF TALKS OR RELEASE THE AMERICAN OPENING STATEMENT. THE TALKS ARE SCHEDULED TO CONCLUDE ON WEDNESDAY. AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST DAY OF TALKS, SOUTH KOREAN OFFICIALS WERE THE ONLY PARTICIPANTS TO COMMENT PUBLICLY, SAYING DISCUSSIONS WERE CONSTRUCTIVE AND TOOK PLACE IN A GOOD ATMOSPHERE. EARLIER, DIPLOMATS SAID THEY CONSIDERED THE TALKS A SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS BECAUSE THEY STARTED ON TIME WITH ALL FOUR PARTIES IN ATTENDANCE. IT HAS TAKEN CLOSE TO A YEAR OF PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS TO ARRANGE THE TALKS. NORTH KOREA, IN PARTICULAR, WAS AN UNRELIABLE PARTICIPANT IN PREPARATORY TALKS, SOMETIMES FAILING TO SHOW UP OR SHOW ANY FLEXIBILITY IN DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ISSUES. NORTH KOREA'S PRIMARY CONDITION FOR HOLDING THE TALKS WAS THAT THEY INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS ON THE REMOVAL OF U-S TROOPS FROM SOUTH KOREA. THAT IS A TOPIC U-S OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO DISCUSS, BUT APPARENTLY HAVE AGREED TO ALLOW ON THE AGENDA FOR THE FORMAL FOUR-PARTY TALKS THAT STARTED THIS WEEK. U-S OFFICIALS SAY THE FOUR-PARTY TALKS COULD CONTINUE FOR YEARS. THEY SAY THIS FIRST ROUND OF TALKS WAS DESIGNED AS AN INTRODUCTORY SESSION WITHOUT ANY EXPECTATIONS FOR SPECIFIC RESULTS. (SIGNED) NEB/MPR/RRM 09-Dec-97 3:29 PM EST (2029 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
