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On September 30, envoys at the six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear program agreed on a statement detailing action plans on how to push the disarmament process forward. Though the statement still needs final approval from the nations of the six parties involved before it can be released later this week, negotiators on all sides appear satisfied with the results of this round. The main sticking point, however, remains the removal of North Korea from the United States’ list of state sponsors of terrorism, but the South Korean envoy has indicated that even this may soon be resolved.

The tentative deal is known to include removing the North from the U.S. state sponsors of terror list, providing 400,000 tons of heavy oil or aid equivalent to 500,000 tons, and offering power generation equipment and its maintenance in return for Pyongyang’s complete disablement and declaration of its nuclear program by the end of the year.

“Following intensive consultations among the envoys from the six countries, we have reached an agreement in a dramatic way by putting down a detailed plan of action in writing,” Chun Yung-woo, the top South Korean envoy said at a press conference.

However, the statement will be formally adopted in two days when the envoys meet again after a recess, Chun noted, since there are some delegations that first need to consult with their governments before proceeding. “The statement will not be disclosed until that time,” he said. “We can say that the deal is a tentative one among envoys since we haven’t gotten final approval from the governments.”

Chun went on to say that the statement includes a specific timetable for the fulfillment of North Korea’s obligations. “We cannot provide details but a deadline is in the statement elaborating until when the North should declare and dismantle (its nuclear program).”

As for the removal of North Korea from the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list, “No specific timetable was expressed in the statement. The U.S. and the North are aware of the issue because the two countries discussed it bilaterally (in Berlin earlier this year),” Chun said, hinting that there must have been some kind of breakthrough on the matter as well.

Christopher Hill, the top U.S. envoy, called the statement detailed and useful and added that an agreement is imminent. He also said he felt little stress during the six-party talks this time. Hill hinted that a technical team will visit the North’s Yongbyon facilities in early October. This is what Chun also alluded to by saying, “Not sure whether it is next week, but action will be taken on disablement as soon as possible.”

The reason there was agreement at this latest round of talks but nothing in written form appears to be because there was no conclusion regarding whether there will be a stated date by which the United States will remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terror. Doing that would be a legal measure that would itself be a relatively abstract and political process, which therefore would be difficult to pin down on a timetable when compared to the timing of the disablement of North Korea’s nuclear facilities.

Though the final announcement was postponed, the agreement on the second phase of denuclearization means two things. One is that it now becomes possible for the countries involved in the six-party process to talk about the stage after this one, namely having Pyongyang get rid of its nuclear program. In addition, it opens the way for six-party foreign ministers’ talks. As government officials have said, we now go down a road where no one has gone before. Libya, South Africa and Ukraine have all given up their nuclear programs, but North Korea is the only country that has openly declared it has done nuclear tests and has nuclear weapons and yet is moving toward abandoning its nuclear capabilities through a multiparty format known as the six-party talks.

This is why there needs to be much more advanced political agreement than there is now. As evident in these latest talks, the issue of North Korea’s inclusion on the state terror list is the most important hurdle in the normalization of ties between Pyongyang and Washington. Compared to measures taken at the first stage, including decisions regarding the giving of heavy oil, the start of talks between Tokyo and Pyongyang and Pyongyang and Washington on normalizing ties, and resolving the issue of North Korean funds in Macao’s Banco Delta Asia, this is something that requires political decisions of a much higher nature. This is what makes the six-party foreign ministers’ talks scheduled for late October so important.

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