“Six-Party Talks to be Held in Beijing on September 22,” Daily Yomiuri Reports

Japan’s Daily Yomiuri reported on September 7 that China is coordinating opinions among participating countries regarding a plan to hold the upcoming round of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue on September 22 in Beijing.

Li Changchun, Standing Committee member in the CPC Central Committee’s Political Bureau, will visit Pyongyang on September 10, and invite Chairman Kim Jong-il of the National Defense Commission to attend this fourth round of six-party talks, Yomiuri further reported.

A source in the U.S. administration also revealed that the window for six-party talks in September is the last week of the month, and that they are making adjustments with September 22 in mind.

However, Mainichi Daily News stated that prospects are as yet unclear, since North Korea is not showing a clear position on whether or not they will participate in the talks.

The report explained that North Korea discontinued talks with the South on the pretext of the North Korean defectors issue and the R.O.K.-U.S. joint military exercises, and speculated that the North is likely to maintain this static situation while awaiting the results of the American presidential election.

At the third round of six-party talks, which took place in June in Beijing, the two Koreas, the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia had agreed to hold the fourth round within the month of September.

Hun-Joo Cho hanscho@donga.com