YONHAP NEWS

U.S. to pursue N. Korean denuclearization through 6-way talks: State Dept.

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- The United States Wednesday reiterated that it will pursue North Korea's denuclearization through the six-party talks.

   "I think we've been clear all along that whatever we do has to be in very close consultation with our parties, because we believe that's the best way to solve this conflict, in a six-party context," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a daily news briefing.

   Kelly did not respond directly to the question whether the U.S. will have a one-on-one meeting with North Korea to facilitate the six-party talks, stalled over international sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear and missile tests earlier this year.

   "I want to give a chance to the delegation to come back and debrief us on it," the spokesman said, referring to the just-concluded trip to Asian capitals by Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, to discuss ways to persuade Pyongyang to return to the multilateral nuclear talks.

   Reports said that other parties to the six-way talks, including South Korea, China, Japan and Russia, have already agreed that Washington should have a bilateral dialogue with Pyongyang as part of the six-party process to promote resumption of the multilateral talks.

   North Korea insists on having bilateral talks, saying the six-party forum has been used to violate its sovereign right to develop nuclear and rocket technologies. Pyongyang also warned of "further self-defensive countermeasures" if the international community continues its sanctions.

   Winding up a weeklong Asian trip, Bosworth said in Tokyo Tuesday that Washington will soon decide how to respond to North Korea's demand for bilateral talks.

   "As we have indicated in the past, the United States is willing to engage with North Korea on a bilateral basis, and we are currently considering how best to respond to a North Korean invitation for bilateral talks," he said. "We have not reached a decision on how to respond to this invitation, and we will be considering that in Washington over the next few weeks. We have made no decisions on whether and when and how to hold bilateral talks with the North Koreans."

   North Korea said last week it was entering the final stages of a uranium enrichment process that can produce nuclear weapons and was building more nuclear weapons with spent fuel rods extracted from its plutonium-producing reactor. Its plutonium-based program was to be dismantled under a six-party deal.

   Amid concerns that North Korea is building its nuclear arsenal without active engagement by the U.S., analysts say Bosworth may visit Pyongyang on his next Asia trip, describing it as part of consultations with other six-party members. Christopher Hill, the former chief U.S. nuclear negotiator, frequently used this method in years past to woo North Korea back to the table.

   "We have to decide that we think that these would be useful and that it's timely," Bosworth said of the North's proposal for bilateral talks.

   hdh@yna.co.kr
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