hankyoreh

North Korean assets at Macau-based Banco Delta Asia (BDA) were reported to have been unfrozen in the last few days. However, Macau authorities have officially denied this, and most related countries said directly or indirectly that the report was not true, as well.

A Macau-based source in the finance industry also said that North Korea's assets at BDA remain frozen, adding that there has been no orders regarding when to lift the financial sanctions. A Beijing diplomatic source also said that the report that the funds had been unfrozen is not correct.

BDA's freezing of North Korean accounts following U.S. censure was the main reason behind the stalled six-party talks in the past year, as the North refused to join the meetings if its money were not released.
Earlier this week, local media, including KBS and Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea's assets in the bank had been unfrozen. The news was then carried by most South Korean media.

South Korean Foreign Ministry officials also said they had no confirmation of the report. "Even in the summit talks between South Korea and the U.S. or talks with Washington's top nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill , there were no such mentions on the BDA," a ministry official said.

U.S officials also denied the report, saying that it is a matter that should be confirmed by China.

A Beijing source said that the Chinese government discussed last week with North Korean businesspeople on whether to lift sanctions on Pyongyang's assets at BDA. Some experts say that China or North Korea may have planted the report in order to read the response of the global community should sanctions be lifted.

"I don't think the report is true, but merely speculation," a North Korean diplomat in Beijing said, adding that it would be difficult to resolve the BDA issue.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]