Government to Suggest Three Major Conditions to NK for Nuclear Dismantlement

At the second round of the Six-Nation Talks, which is scheduled to begin in Beijing on February 25, the government will suggest the requirements needed to destroy the entirety of North Korea’s nuclear facilities.

On February 20, “the complete, verifiable, and irreversible methods of nuclear dismantling, which the United States has demanded North Korea to carry out should be confirmed in advance. That is, presenting the concept of the ‘CVID principle,’ we will suggest the contents of management which North Korea ought to conduct while undertaking this major task,” remarked a related governmental official, and then added, “we have materialized how to proceed with the dismantling of nuclear weapons and what kind of nuclear inspections will be accomplished that can satisfy both the US and North Korea alike.”

An official belonging to the foreign ministry held a press conference on this day, saying, “we have already discussed these three prior conditions with the US and Japan, and they have consented with the measures prepared by us.”

This official added that, “if the dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal means the beginning of a collective nuclear disarmament, then we can accept the requests of North Korea, such as the lifting of the economic embargo at the time the practical nuclear freeze starts.”

The government has decided to suggest that the Six-Nation Talks should continue and meet every two to three months and have working-level talks in the time between the regular talks, in order to maintain the continuity of the talks and relations.

The government has organized the delegation for the second round of the Six-Nation Talks, which is headed by the assistant deputy foreign minister, Lee Su-hyuck. The policy mediator of the National Security Council, Wie Sung-rak, is appointed to be the advisor, and Cho Tae-yong, the chief of diplomatic coordination for the North Korean nuclear problem is to be the deputy head of the delegation.

Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com