North Threatens to Halt Nuclear Talks

At the fifth round of the six party talks yesterday, North Korea announced that it wants to suspend discussions on the abandonment of its nuclear programs because of the recent U.S. actions against a bank in Macau through which North Korea raises overseas capital.

According to a source in Beijing, Kim Gye Gwan, vice foreign minister and the chief of delegation of North Korea, strongly criticized the U.S. at a plenary session yesterday for the recent blocking of North Korea’s transactions with a bank in Macau, Banco Delta Asia, and said that it is difficult to achieve a nuclear-free Korean peninsula in such a way.

He added, “If the U.S. continues its policy aimed at isolating and containing North Korea, the six-party talks are meaningless. We’d better suspend discussions on the abolition of nuclear programs.”

At the plenary session, the ROK, the U.S., Japan and Russia reportedly presented ways to implement the joint statement reached at the end of the fourth round of the six-party talks. North Korea, however, did not comment on the issue and raised complaints against the U.S.

Myoung-Gun Lee gun43@donga.com