Hill Holds 30 Minute Discussion with President Roh

Korea, the U.S., and Japan are considering the idea of referring the North Korean nuclear issue to the U.N. Security Council if the six-party talks fail to resume.

Japanese Daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on April 26 that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill and Kenichiro Sasae, the director general of the Japanese foreign ministry`s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, will have a meeting in Tokyo on April 26, and review the possibility of referring the issue to the UN Security Council.

A Japanese government official agreed to the idea, saying that “if the six-party talks start again by June, they will only become a formal meeting”.

Earlier, Mr. Hill is said to have held a 30 minute discussion with President Roh Moo-hyun on April 25 and cautiously said that there is a need to find alternatives in case the efforts to get North Korea back to the negotiating table fail, while the efforts should also continue.

President Roh is reported to have responded that “for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue in the context of the six-party talks, the U.S. and North Korea should have a genuine negotiation,” and asked Mr. Hill to “play a vital role in the process.”

Mr. Hill left for China on April 26. He will be back in Korea on April 28 after visiting Japan on April 27. Lee Jong-seok, the deputy chief of the National Security Council (NSC) of Korea, left for the U.S. on April 26 to discuss issues including the North Korean nuclear problems.

Jong-Koo Yoon jkmas@donga.com srkim@donga.com