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NK Will Accept Multilateral Dialogue: FM

2003-06-21

PHNOM PENH - Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan said on Friday (June 20) that he is upbeat about the prospects of North Korea willing to agree to participate in multilateral dialogue aimed at defusing tension over its nuclear weapons program.

"In view of various circumstances, there is a hope that the North will accept multilateral talks," Yoon said in a meeting with reporters before departing for Thailand on the second leg of his week-long Southeast Asia trip.

Yoon said China is concentrating diplomatic efforts on bringing about a new round of nuclear talks with the North while other countries are also sending clear messages to Pyongyang through various channels.

He added, however, that since there is still a great deal of uncertainty, he could not offer a true "prediction" on whether the North will agree to multilateral talks.

Yoon has been here since Monday, holding a series of meetings with his counterparts from Asian-Pacific countries for talks on the nuclear crisis on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

In meetings with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Yoon said he stressed the allies should prepare more detailed proposals to offer the North at a new round of talks and assume Pyongyang will agree to the U.S.-proposed dialogue format.

"I was told by the U.S. and the Japanese sides that it is a good idea and they would review it," Yoon said, adding that Washington and Tokyo will announce their positions on the issue in the near future.

He also said the three allies shared the view that preparing detailed proposals could also serve as a sort of incentive to encourage Pyongyang to accept multilateral talks.

Regarding the U.S.' move to have the U.N. Security Council take up the nuclear issue for action against Pyongyang, Yoon said he expressed reservations about the idea.

Yoon said he asked U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell whether Security Council discussions on the nuclear issue were a good idea given that the parties concerned are waiting for the North's response to a proposal for a new round of talks. "I told him that we'd better rethink when would be an effective time to do that," he added.

Yoon also said he made similar remarks in talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and she "expressed agreement to some degree."

"I understand that China sympathizes with our view that we must be cautious in our selection of timing," he said.

Asked if there is any chance of the United States talking bilaterally to the North under a multilateral discussion framework, the minister reiterated that the U.S. is firm in its belief that it would not hold bilateral talks with Pyongyang.

Source : www.korea.net