Chinese School - US, S.Korea press N.Korea on nuke issue

WORLD / Asia-Pacific

US, S.Korea press N.Korea on nuke issue

(AP)
Updated: 2007-04-12 16:58

SEOUL, South Korea - The US and South Korea urged North Korea to move
toward dismantling its nuclear weapons programs now that its frozen bank
accounts have been freed, pressing the North to meet a Saturday deadline
to shut down its nuclear reactor.

North Korean soldiers look at the south side as a South Korean soldier
(L) stands guard at the truce village of Panmunjom, 04 April 2007, in the
demilitarized zone dividing South and North Korea. [AP]

"We certainly have confirmed that the bank accounts are open. So we have
truly fulfilled our role in this and now it's up to" North Korea, US
Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said in Seoul.

Hill said he had yet to hear a response from North Korea to the release
of $25 million held in a Macau bank. Macau authorities said earlier this
week the money is available for account holders to access, but it
remained unclear when North Korea might do so.

"This is about (North Korea's) willingness with respect to
denuclearization," Hill said.

Although time is running short before a Saturday deadline set in a
February agreement in which North Korea pledged to take initial steps to
disarm, Hill maintained it was "possible to get going on this process in
the next two days."

South Korean nuclear envoy Chun Young-woo called for patience Thursday
and said other countries should wait "another few days" until North Korea
responds, noting it typically does not respond quickly.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson met South Korean President Roh
Moo-hyun on Thursday to share the results of his trip to North Korea
earlier this week.

During the meeting, Roh "assessed that the US is showing strong will to
resolve the North Korea nuclear issue" through six-nation disarmament
talks, Roh's office said in a statement.

Richardson, a Democratic presidential candidate, returned Wednesday from
a four-day mission to North Korea to bring back six sets of remains
believed to be of American soldiers from the Korean War. His delegation
included the top White House adviser on Korea, Victor Cha.

On Wednesday, Richardson said North Korea had pledged to welcome UN
nuclear inspectors within a day of receiving its funds, but had wanted to
extend a Saturday deadline for shutting down its main nuclear reactor by
30 days - which the US delegation rejected.

Cha told reporters Thursday that any extension of the deadline would have
to be agreed upon by all countries in the six-nation arms talks: China,
Japan, Russia, the United States and the two Koreas.

Diplomacy has intensified ahead of the Saturday deadline for the reactor
shutdown, which would be the first move by North Korea to scale back its
nuclear development since the current nuclear standoff began in late 2002
and it expelled UN inspectors. The move came after the US accused North
Korea of embarking on a secret uranium enrichment program in violation of
a 1994 deal to stop making nuclear weapons.

Hill said Thursday he would fly to Beijing on Friday to meet Chinese
officials and also would be willing to see chief North Korean nuclear
envoy Kim Kye Gwan there, but no plans have been set.

The financial issue has been an obstacle to the nuclear talks, leading
North Korea to boycott the negotiations for more than a year during which
it exploded its first nuclear device in October. The US blacklisted
Macau's Banco Delta Asia in 2005 for alleged complicity in counterfeiting
and money laundering by North Korea. BDA has denied any wrongdoing.

The North later agreed to return to negotiations and pledged in February
to shut down its main nuclear reactor by a Saturday deadline in exchange
for a US promise to resolve the financial standoff. North Korea also is
to receive energy aid and political concessions for eventually
dismantling its nuclear programs.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Wednesday
the United States had "gone the extra mile" to resolve the bank issue. He
repeated the United States' expectation that North Korea will meet the
shutdown deadline, and refused to speculate on consequences for the North
if it fails to do so.

"We'll see where we are on Saturday," McCormack said.

Top World News 

� Abe meets Bush, renews sympathy for 'comfort women'

� Bombers strike at Iraqi army, civilians

� Putin firm in final union address

� US House OKs Iraq troop pullout bill

� Japanese PM to meet Bush in summit

Today's Top News 

� China to act on pollution, warming gases

� Yang a popular choice as FM

� Hu, Lien stress cross-Straits peace

� US captures senior Al-Qaida operative

� Yang Jiechi named new FM, replacing Li Zhaoxing

Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours

Learn Chinese, Free Chinese Lesson, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet