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N Korea ready to drop nuke plans for security guarantees - report

IRNA

Washington, Nov 15, Itar-Tass/ACSNA/IRNA -- North Korean diplomats 
have told The Washington Times newspaper their country is willing to 
give up its nuclear weapons program, stop testing, and permit annual 
inspections in exchange for written security guarantees from its four 
neighbors and the US. 
According to the newspaper, the diplomats also indicated 
Pyongyang`s wish to get a compensation for economic losses suffered by
a decision to halt construction of two South Korean-made nuclear power
plants in North Korea. 
Two North Korean diplomats spoke to The Washington Times in 
Geneva, and the editors called their interview `rare and 
wide-ranging`. 
They reiterated Pyongyang`s position that it might be prepared to 
consider President Bush`s proposal for written guarantees on security 
`positively` if they were linked to simultaneous diplomatic actions 
required by the North Korean leadership. 
One of the envoys, Kim Yong-ho, said this on the Bush 
Administration proposals: "If Mr. Bush`s proposal on written 
guarantees of security is based on the principle of simultaneous 
action which was proposed by the Democratic People`s Republic of 
Korea, we can consider positively about that." 
Another senior diplomat, Kim Song-sol, said Pyongyang would `not 
manufacture nuclear weapons, allow annual inspections, dissolve the 
nuclear facilities, and suspend the testing of missiles or the missile
export or such kind of things`. 
The Washington Times recalled what President George W. Bush said 
in connection with the guarantees proposal October 22. 
"We have no intention of invading," he said. "Obviously, any 
guarantee would be conditional, on [the North Korean leader] Kim 
Jong-il doing what he hopefully will say he`ll do, which is get rid of
his nuclear weapons program." 
The diplomats said there was no confirmation yet of the date of 
the six-partite talks involving the Russia, United States, China, 
North Korea, South Korea, and Japan, but they were expected to 
continue. 
Pyongyang agreed in principle to the next round of talks, they 
indicated. 
The diplomats also urged other governments `including the US, to 
push Japan to respond positively` to a proposal by Pyongyang for 
bilateral talks to discuss reparations for war crimes and other 
serious human rights violations inflicted by the Japanese military and
imperial government during World War II, as well as in the period of 
occupation and colonial rule of Korea. 
/AH/210 
End