hankyoreh

2007

Kim Sook, South Korea’s chief negotiator to the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear program, said on May 16 that he “expects the six-party talks to take place in the first-half of next month (before June 16).”

In a press conference after recent visits to the United States and China, Kim said, “The next round of six-party talks is very important, but will by no means be easy.”

In reference to this, a senior South Korean government official said, “North Korea should submit its official declaration by the end of May, giving the participating nations time to review it.” The countries involved in the six-party talks are the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia.

Following Pyongyang’s official submission of the declaration, the United States is expected to ask the U.S. Congress to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The six-party talks have been stalled in recent months due to disagreement over the declaration, which North Korea says was submitted in November but which the United States has insisted is not complete.

Chief negotiators from South Korea, the United States and Japan will meet in Washington May 18-19 for a comprehensive discussion on the agenda for the next round of six-party talks, Kim said. The three negotiators will talk about verification of the North’s declaration, implementation of each nation’s tasks, early implementation of the second phase of the September 19 Joint Declaration and the third phase of the North Korean nuclear abandonment process, Kim said.

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