Voice of America 4/24/97
KOREA TALKS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JAN CHORLTON PETERSEN
DATELINE=TOKYO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A NORTH KOREAN DIPLOMAT SAYS HIS
COUNTRY WANTS TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF PEACE
TALKS TO INCLUDE CHINA, BUT THAT THREE-WAY
TALKS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES, SOUTH AND
NORTH KOREA SHOULD CONTINUE FOR NOW. JAN
CHORLTON PETERSEN REPORTS NORTH KOREA'S
VICE FOREIGN MINISTER WAS QUOTED IN A NORTH
KOREA CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY DISPATCH
MONITORED IN TOKYO.
TEXT: THE LATEST ROUND OF THREE-WAY PEACE
TALKS BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA AND
THE UNITED STATES ENDED EARLIER THIS WEEK,
BUT NORTH KOREA'S VICE FOREIGN MINISTER KIM
KYE-GWAN NOW SAYS THE NORTH IS READY FOR
MORE -- AND EVENTUALLY WANTS TO EXPAND THE
SCOPE OF THE TALKS TO INCLUDE CHINA.
MR. KIM HEADED NORTH KOREA'S DELEGATION
TO THE NEW YORK TALKS. THE MEETINGS ENDED
AFTER NORTH KOREA FAILED TO SAY IF IT WOULD
JOIN FOUR-PARTY TALKS.
NORTH KOREA'S CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY THURSDAY
QUOTED MR. KIM AS SAYING THAT BEFORE THE
FOUR-WAY TALKS BEGIN, IT WOULD BE USEFUL
FOR THE UNITED STATES AND THE TWO KOREAS
TO CONTINUE THEIR THREE-PARTY DISCUSSIONS.
MR. KIM SAYS SUCH TALKS WILL BUILD CONFIDENCE
AND MAKE FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS MORE EFFECTIVE AND
PRODUCTIVE.
SOME DIPLOMATS INTERPRET MR. KIM'S REFERENCE
TO CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES AS AN APPEAL
FOR MORE FOOD AID TO THE FAMINE-WRACKED NORTH.
THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH KOREA SAY FOOD
AID CANNOT BE A PRECONDITION FOR FOUR-WAY
DISCUSSIONS.THE NORTH KOREAN NEWS AGENCY
ALSO QUOTES THE VICE FOREIGN MINISTER AS SAYING
THE GOVERNMENT IN PYONGYANG WANTS WHAT HE
TERMED "EQUAL FOOTING" IN FUTURE DISCUSSIONS
OF A PEACE TREATY, WHICH WOULD REPLACE THE
1953 KOREAN WAR ARMISTICE. WHILE THE UNITED
AND CHINA BOTH RECOGNIZE SOUTH KOREA, THE
UNITED STATES HAS NO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
WITH THE NORTH. (SIGNED)
NEB/JCP/FC/CF
24-Apr-97 4:15 AM EDT (0815 UTC)
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