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Three-Way Talks Due on NK Nuclear Row

2003-06-13

Senior officials from Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are to coordinate their North Korea policy in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday and Saturday to decide on the preferred format and timing of follow-up talks to the Beijing three-way talks on North Korea's nuclear program in April.

The three countries are likely to announce that future talks must be of a five-way format, which includes South Korea and Japan in addition to the three parties of North Korea, the United States and China.

Contingency plans such as imposing a naval blockade on North Korea are not expected to be discussed in view of the fact that such a move will not be conducive to Pyongyang's acceptance of the meeting.

On the other side of the globe in Madrid, Spain, however, a different set of talks will be taking place on the same day, without the participation of South Korea, aimed at building an international regime to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by "rogue states" such as North Korea and Iran.

The U.S., Japan and eight other nations will discuss ways to track and search suspicious shipments out of North Korea, in line with the "selective interdiction" Washington has declared, falling short of a full embargo.

Seoul finds it difficult to join such moves, which Washington maintains are not sanctions, but merely part of law enforcement procedures.

"Obviously the U.S. and Japan's position differs from ours," a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said on Thursday, ruling out the possibility of Seoul's joining in the naval blockade or other similar measures at this point.

Other government sources pointed out that the U.S. recognizes North Korea's desperate need to reopen talks and believes the pressure will prompt Pyongyang to accept Washington's call for five-way talks in the near future.

"In the end, North Korea would have to accept the offer," another Seoul official said on condition of anonymity.

In a related move, the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun reported U.S. envoy to North Korea Jack Pritchard contacted North Korean United Nations representatives in New York on June 5 to inquire about the possibility of convening five-way talks.

Source : www.korea.net