Three Nation’s Leaders Urging For N.K. to Respond in Verifiable Way

In the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Los Cabos, Mexico, Oct. 27 President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea, US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro koizumi called on North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons program in a prompt and verifiable manner.

The leaders of the three countries issued a joint statement in which they stressed that the North should keep in mind what benefit it would get if it extended its participation in the international community and that its relations with the international community hinges on its action.

In a briefing Deputy Chief Secretary of Cabinet Shinzo Abe related that Mr. Bush said, “The Geneva Agreed Framework is a intricate issue, so we should caution against any uncontrollable situation arising. Now that the North is in need of our support, we can have a chance to solve the nuclear issue along with others. I have confidence in solving this issue.”

Asked about the possibility of economic sanctions against the North for a pressure on it, Secretary State Colin Powell said, “After examining the North’s response, we will decide on which will be the best among in diplomatic, economic or political manners in consultation with our allies.” In effect, he did not exclude the possibility of economic sanctions.

The three leaders also related that they agreed that inter-Korean dialogue and normalization talks between Japan and North Korea could be used as an important channel to prompt Pyongyang to show quick actions to the international community’s urge for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

In the conference, according to Mr. Abe, President Kim of the South said, “Though the 1994 Agreed Framework was compromised a lot, Pyongyang has suspended its development of plutonium. The North’s admission of its nuclear development program should not create a new crisis.”

Mr. Koizumi said that the normalization of relations could not be made unless the North fully implemented the Japan-North Korea statement made in Pyongyang and the agreements about security issues, including nuclear and kidnapping ones.

However, senior presidential secretary Im Seong-jun, who attended the APEC meeting, said that the three leaders did not talk about the non-aggression pact which the North demanded as a prerequisite for the settlement of the nuclear issues.

The three nations are scheduled to discuss about the next step such as whether or not to suspend their providing two light water reactors and hard oil in depth in the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group meeting slated for early November.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bush and Chinese President Jiang Zemin reached agreement to hold a summit meeting to settle the North’s nuclear issue in a peaceful way on November 25.

In a joint press conference, US President Bush said that the two countries would go hand in hand for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula and the prompt resolution of the North’s nuclear weapons program issue. On the other hand, Chinese President Jiang said, “I have not had knowledge of the issue. China has backed denuclearization and peace on the Peninsula and Mr. Bush and I agreed to solve this issue in a peaceful manner.”

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