Posted January. 26, 2005 23:10,
The Wall Street Journal reported on January 25 that most analysts predict that the North Korean policies which will be pursued by the second Bush administration will be similar to that of the previous term.
The Wall Street Journal stated the above while predicting the future role of Christopher Hill, the American ambassador to South Korea, recently selected as assistant secretary of the U.S. State Department`s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
It also stated, Though Condoleezza Rice has been nominated as secretary of state, there seems to be little chance that the United States will provide new carrots to North Korea in admonishing them to enter the fourth round of six-party talks as long as Vice President Dick Cheney and the hawks in the Department of Defense are in power.
White House spokesperson Scott McClellan affirmed on this day, We hope that they (North Korea) are serious and that they will come back to the six-party talks soon, so that we can discuss in a substantive way about how to move forward on the proposal that we outlined at the last round of talks.
On the regular briefing sessions, spokesperson McClellan was requested for comments on the report by the North Korean Chosun Central News Agency that North Korea is ready to announce formally its nuclear weapons possessions, and stated, Our view remains the same in terms of North Korea that they will come back to the six-party talks.