Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=4/16/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=NORTH KOREA TALKS UPDATE (L)

NUMBER=2-302262

BYLINE=STEVE HERMAN

DATELINE=TOKYO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United States, North Korea and China are to hold talks as early as next week, in an attempt to defuse the standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. As Steve Herman reports, word of the talks comes a few days after North Korea signaled it was willing to abandon its demands for talks with just the United States.

TEXT: South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan confirmed news reports Wednesday that diplomats from North Korea, China and the United States will meet next week in Beijing.

Washington and Pyongyang have not held formal talks since North Korea expelled international inspectors and took steps to reactivate facilities that could produce fuel for nuclear weapons. Those moves came after Washington said last October that Pyongyang had an illegal nuclear weapons program.

An apparent breakthrough leading to talks came a few days ago, when Pyongyang indicated it was willing to accept Washington's demand that other countries take part in any talks. The North Koreans had previously insisted on one-to-one talks with the United States.

On Wednesday, North Korea reiterated that it is ready to accept any form of dialogue. The government newspaper, Minju Joson, urged Washington to take an honest approach to dialogue. In the past few days, Pyongyang has stopped the nearly daily flow of anti-U-S rhetoric that it has issued for months.

The South Korean foreign minister says Seoul approves of the talks, even though it is not included. Mr. Yoon says it is important that talks begin. South Korea, however, still favors talks that include it, Japan, China and Russia.

Japan's foreign ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima says he hopes that others will be allowed at the table eventually.

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We are very much hopeful that the second step would involve Japan as well as South Korea or other nations, which have much concern on this issue. And we do believe that this bold approach to have multilateral negotiation is one of the great achievements of Japan, United States, China and South Korea's diplomatic effort to convince North Korea to join this kind of negotiation.

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/// OPT ///

Japan's Mainichi newspaper Wednesday afternoon quoted a top Japanese official, anonymously, as saying Japanese and South Korean diplomats would probably join next week's talks in Beijing.

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Regional analysts say the quick defeat of the government of Saddam Hussein in Iraq by U-S-led forces may have prompted North Korea to soften its position. President George Bush had labeled Iraq, North Korea and Iran an "axis of evil" for possessing weapons of mass destruction and fostering terrorism. (Signed)

NEB/HK/SH/KPD