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North Korea on Thursday said six-party talks aimed at resolving its nuclear issue had been ¡°suspended indefinitely¡± over U.S. hostility, scuppering hopes of their early resumption. Experts on the Stalinist country view the statement as negotiation rhetoric, but the talks, which had shown signs of being close to a fresh start, now seem a way further off.
¡°Through statements made during President Bush¡¯s inaugural address, the State of the Union Address and the Secretary of State¡¯s confirmation hearing, it was put into policy that the U.S. would never co-exist with us,¡± a Foreign Ministry statement read. ¡°Nowhere in U.S. statements is there a single word about co-existence.¡± The statement added, ¡°We wanted the six-party talks [to resume], but until it is confirmed that there are sufficient conditions and an atmosphere in which participation in the talks would be justified and we could expect results, it is unavoidable that we suspend our participation in the six-party talks indefinitely.¡±
Pyongyang also claimed it had nuclear weapons ¡°for our self-defense¡±. ¡°As long as the U.S. brandishes its nuclear cudgel and exposes its designs to eliminate our system by all means, we will take steps to increase our nuclear arsenal in order to protect the ideology and system chosen by our people, [as well as] freedom and democracy.¡±
Pyongyang added the talks were stuck because of the Washington¡¯s ¡°hostile policy¡±. ¡°With the U.S. branding its dialogue partner an ¡®outpost of tyranny¡¯ ¡¦ there is no reason for us to return to the six-party talks,¡± the statement said, referring to a form of words by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice grouping Pyongyang with prominent oppressive regimes.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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