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WASHINGTON,D.C. -- The second round of the six party talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue opens Wednesday in Beijing. The talks, which will be attended by North and South Korea, China, the United States, Japan and Russia, are being restarted six months after the first round of talks last August.
On Wednesday and Thursday morning, two full sessions will be held, with bilateral contacts and working group meetings held in the afternoons.
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Kim Gye-kwan, chief delegate of North Korea for the six-party talks on the North¡¯s nuclear arms program, and South Korean ambassador to China, Choi Jin-soo (right), at Beijing Capital Airport on Tuesday morning.
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The United States is expected to insist that if, and only if, North Korea completely, verifiably, and irrevocably dismantles its nuclear program, including its highly enriched uranium program (HEU), can relations between the two nations improve. The U.S. position is also that during working groups to be started during this round of talks, each nation discuss plans to make concrete North Korea's abandonment of its nuclear program and verification mechanisms.
Some Japanese media reported that North Korea made it known through China that "it can completely dismantle it nuclear weapons," but on Tuesday, the North made clear its position that the U.S. must drop its hostile policy toward Pyongyang simultaneous to a nuclear dismantlement.
The Chosun Shinbo, a news organ of the pro-North Korean General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, said in a dispatch from Pyongyang on Wednesday that "North Korea will not depart from the formula of a comprehensive settlement and simultaneous action." It also said, "At this point, the stern reality is that North Korea possesses a nuclear deterrent, and if during the talks, the U.S. reiterates its demand that North Korea give up its nuclear program prior to a deal, the head of the American delegation will hear an even greater 'bombshell declaration' than last time."
The Chosun Shinbo hinted that the 'bombshell declaration' refers to the North physically displaying its nuclear deterrent, and said "If a settlement to the nuclear issue is not reached during these talks, it could lead to an uncontrollable crisis."
South Korea plans to reveal its "Three Stage Plan to Solve the North Korean Nuclear Crisis," which includes the expression of security guarantees to North Korea by South Korea, the U.S., and Japan if North Korea reveals its intention to dismantle all its nuclear programs.
(Joo Yong-joong, midway@chosun.com )
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