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No nuke talks if N. Korea requests preconditions: S. Korean FM
SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign minister made it clear Sunday that the country does not want the six-way nuclear talks over North Korea's nuclear program to resume until the communist nation stops pushing for unacceptable preconditions.
"It is not time to discuss six-way talks laden with North Korea-set preconditions," Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said in an interview with state-owned broadcaster KTV.
Yu said the North is apparently attempting to use the long-stalled nuclear negotiations as a means to distract world attention away from the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in March.
A South Korea-led multinational probe found that the North sank the 1,200-ton Cheonan patrol ship with a torpedo just south of their western sea border, killing 46 sailors.
The U.N. Security Council discussed the issue at the request of Seoul. After several weeks of debates, it issued a presidential statement earlier this month backing Seoul's condemnation of the attack, but also mentioning Pyongyang's denial of involvement.
China and North Korea were quick to call for the resumption of the six-way talks, which also involve the U.S., Japan and Russia. The Beijing-based talks have been stalled since the North stormed out last year before carrying out its second nuclear test.
Last week, North Korea offered to return to the negotiations, reiterating its calls for the lifting of sanctions on it imposed after its missile and nuclear tests.
It also demanded immediate talks on singing a peace treaty to replace the current Armistice Agreement that effectively ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
"The removal of the barrier of such discrimination and distrust may soon lead to the opening of the six-party talks," the North said in its statement.
South Korea and the U.S. said the secretive regime needs to first halt its provocative acts and show a sincere attitude toward denuclearization.
"North Korea's position is that it can discuss the nuclear issue only after the peace treaty issue is discussed -- namely on the equal footing," the minister said. "It is a demand for the nullification of the sanctions Resolution 1874 for the second nuclear test."
Yu said the U.S. is also wary of North Korea's attempt to use the six-way talks to evade responsibility for the Cheonan incident.
"(South Korea) will closely cooperate on the purpose of denuclearization of North Korea not only with the U.S. and Japan, but also China and Russia, which are members of the six-way talks," he said.
With regard to the so-called two-plus-two meeting among the foreign and defense ministers from South Korea and the U.S. to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, Yu said it will be used to assess the Seoul-Washington alliance and establish a clear vision.
The meeting, which will be held in Seoul on Wednesday, will contribute to regional peace and security, he said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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