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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

..............

QUESTION: North Korea?

MR. FOLEY: Yes.

QUESTION: So after the North Koreans announced their moratorium. Today, they have come out again, said that they are going to launch missiles or satellites any time they damn well want to. So what's the --

MR. FOLEY: Are those your words?

QUESTION: Those are my words. But they basically said that they would - that they'll do it any time they want to, and it doesn't matter. What's the US reaction?

MR. FOLEY: Well, first of all, I hesitate to respond to something I haven't seen, especially on a matter this important and this sensitive. So in a real sense, I'll have to take the question, see what they said exactly, who said it, and what the context was.

However, we have had serious talks with the North Koreans. In those talks they provided a pledge, that they then publicly acknowledged, I believe, last week: that they would not conduct a further missile test, while negotiations between our two countries were ongoing, aiming towards achieving an improvement in our bilateral relationship. Pledges are important, actions are equally or even more important. But I am not aware that we have reason to disbelieve the pledge.

However, if that pledge were broken, we would certainly be in a position to know about it. But we believe that the North Koreans recognize that it's in their interest to pursue a different kind of relationship with the United States and with the international community.

While it is true, as you indicated, that they've always maintained that they could do what they wanted to do - and that's an obvious proposition - the fact of the matter is that they do apparently see an avenue towards a different, better kind of relationship with the United States, which is certainly predicated on honoring commitments such as those that they have recently made to us.

QUESTION: With regard to that commitment, is that - and pardon my ignorance - but is there anything in writing? Is there anything that's been signed between and North Korea and the United States, that North Korea will not advance its missile program? Or not launch a missile?

MR. FOLEY: I think you have to distinguish between different elements of the wider issue here, at least in so far as missiles are concerned. They have pledged, as I indicated, not to conduct another missile test of the Taepo Dong and other missiles for the duration of our talks. They have gone public with that pledge. There are a whole range of areas of concern that we have about their missile program. We expect to have those concerns addressed in future contacts, in future negotiations.

Moreover, I think Mr. Rubin indicated at the time - following Ambassador Kartman's meetings in Berlin, that we conveyed to you their pledge - Mr. Rubin indicated that we would expect further talks with the North Koreans, aiming to formalize this kind of an undertaking. So those have yet to take place. But that is the direction that we want to head in.

QUESTION: But these pledges are just verbal pledges, is that correct?

MR. FOLEY: Well, I can't speak to every piece of paper that may exist or may not exist. The fact of the matter, though, is that we're talking here about a pledge, a commitment that they have underscored publicly in the last week or so.

QUESTION: Where and when would you expect those talks to continue with North Korea?

MR. FOLEY: Well, the venue I couldn't speak to -- I think we're hoping to continue contacts with them on different aspects of the relationship, different aspects of our concerns, in the near future.

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(The briefing concluded at 1:40 p.m.)

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