Korea and U.S. To Give Last Chance to North Korea

On June 6, a high-ranking official of the government said that Korea and the U.S. would agree to the principle of diplomatically resolving the North Korean nuclear issue at the summit to be held in Washington D.C. on June 11, but at the same time, he also said that the agreement is highly likely to be the last opportunity for North Korea to return to the six-party talks.

The official noted, “The Bush administration thinks it made every effort it could regarding North Korea,” and emphasized that if the North doesn’t send a clear signal that it will return to the six-party talks after the Korea - U.S. summit, the Korean government can no longer afford to oppose the U.S. policy of oppression toward North Korea, which is being raised by some within the U.S. administration.

The official’s statement could be interpreted as that the two countries view one month after the summit as a critical period for resolving the North Korean nuclear problem, including the possibility of the resumption of six-way talks.

However, the official said that the summit would serve as a place in which a message of “there is still a chance” would be sent to North Korea.

Another official from the government remarked that National Security Adviser Kwon Jin-ho and Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon, who visited the U.S. May 31 to June 3, had stressed that “there is still room for diplomatically resolving the North Korean nuclear issue” to high-ranking officials of the U.S. administration, and that the U.S. had also accepted the Korean government’s position.

Regarding the possibility of North Korea’s returning to the six-party talks, the official stated, “It is hard to conclude how it could be, but having said that, some positive signs are coming out, including behind-the-scenes contact between North Korea and the U.S.”

taewon_ha@donga.com