hankyoreh

The second stage of the sixth round of six-party talks was scheduled to open this week but it was suddenly postponed. We are told this is because of North Korea, which has a bad attitude for making other countries wait for no good reason. The talks need to be held next week at the latest, so as to avoid making them coincide with the inter-Korean summit coming in early October.

This particular round of talks is, as outlined in the February 13 agreement, supposed to encompass a complete report by North Korea regarding its nuclear programs, the disablement of all of its existing nuclear facilities, and measures that are to be taken in response. They are important talks, during which the six countries are to complete the February 13 agreement and get specific about what happens next, and so there should not be any setbacks. The mood ahead of the talks is pretty good. In the annual anti-drug report drafted by the United States State Department and issued by the White House, the U.S. government makes no mention of narcotics-related activities on the part of North Korea, a change from previous years. We interpret this as a friendly sign aimed at improving relations. The U.S. government is maintaining composure regarding allegations by American hard-liners of nuclear cooperation between Syria and North Korea.

Much about the agenda for the talks has already been agreed on. Last week technical teams from the U.S., China, and Russia visited the five megawatt Yongbyon reactor, a reprocessing facility, and a fuel rod production facility. Reportedly the North Koreans were very cooperative, providing their visitors with the drawing plans for the facilities. It also appears there has been considerable progress in discussion between Pyongyang and Washington about a uranium enrichment program (UEP), disagreement over which was what led to the second North Korean nuclear crisis. It is said that at the working-level talks held in Geneva earlier this month, North Korea admitted for the first time that it had acquired, from a third country, some of the aluminum parts to the kind of centrifuge used for uranium enrichment. This suggests the UEP issue is essentially nearing resolution.

Just how thoroughly Pyongyang reports and disables its programs will determine how much progress there is in improving U.S.-North Korea relations, in talking about a peace regime for the peninsula and Northeast Asian region, and in reestablishing relations between Pyongyang and Tokyo. The U.S. is already considering removing Pyongyang from its list of terror sponsoring states and starting discussions on a peace regime on the premise the talks are successful, and Japan is readying to change its hard-line North Korea policy.

South Korea needs to play a key role in these talks. It needs to fill the vacuum of confidence between Washington and Pyongyang and by doing so encourage the North to give up its programs completely and support a U.S.-North Korean summit. It will also be important for the South to create conditions for discussion on a peninsular peace regime with an appropriate approach at the appropriate time.