Powell hints at possible change in Geneva accord

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday that the United States supports the Geneva Agreed Framework at present but that this does not preclude the possibility of reviewing and revising it. He made the remarks in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. Powell said the supply of heavy oil to North Korea and the construction of nuclear reactors there would continue, adding that in assessing the use and supervision of the reactors, their relevance to the U.S. conception of a monitoring and verification system should be considered.

The Clinton administration`s North Korea policy needs to be examined and the issues of monitoring and verification must be studied, he said, adding that talks on a large-scale deployment of troops within the Korean demilitarized zone would have to held as part of negotiations with Pyongyang. ``North Korea has to open up to avoid crumbling, yet once opened up it is likely to crumble,`` he said. Powell said this is the reason why Washington supports the engagement policy of President Kim Dae-Jung.

Han Ki-Heung eligius@donga.com