SK, US nuclear delegates stress role of inter-Korean talks

The chief nuclear negotiators of South Korea and the U.S. have stressed the importance of inter-Korean denuclearization talks. Based on the results of U.S.-North Korean negotiations in Beijing late last week, this suggests that Seoul and Washington seek the resumption of the six-party talks via inter-Korean dialogue.

Lim Sung-nam, South Korea`s chief delegate to the six-way talks, told a joint news conference in Seoul Saturday after a meeting with U.S. counterpart Glyn Davies, “I hope that a third round of talks with North Korea can be held in the process of resuming the six-party talks.”

Glyn said he told North Korea`s chief negotiator, Kim Kye Gwan, that no progress will come in Washington-Pyongyang relations without improvement of inter-Korean ties, adding that no additional talks between the U.S. and the North were planned.

The U.S. diplomat was in Seoul to give a briefing on the outcome of the Beijing talks with Pyongyang.

The implication is that South Korea and the U.S. find it clearly “unacceptable” that North Korea seek dialogue with Washington while escalating its hostile rhetoric against Seoul.

A South Korean official said, “Seoul and Washington agree on not accepting the Pyongyang`s attempt to deal only with the U.S. and ignore South Korea.”

Observers say that in the most recent negotiations, the U.S. could have demanded that North Korea hold a third round of talks with South Korea in return for food assistance. After reaching a considerable agreement on preliminary denuclearization measures, including the North’s suspension of its uranium enrichment program, Pyongyang and Washington might have felt the need to go through Seoul before implementing these measures.

lightee@donga.com