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The six countries in talks on North Korea¡¯s nuclear program on Sunday decided to adjourn for three weeks after 13 days of negotiations in Beijing produced no agreement on a statement of principles. The failure to produce an agreement is mostly due to the question of whether to acknowledge North Korea's right to use nuclear energy peacefully. North Korea also called for a continuation of construction of a light-water reactor at Shinpo that was suspended when the current crisis started.
Chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill told reporters the North Koreans ¡°not only want the right to use nuclear energy, but the right to use light-water reactors. " He called on Pyongyang¡¯s delegation to go home and take the matter off its list of demands.
Chief North Korean negotiator Kim Kye-gwan also said the U.S. refusal to guarantee his country the right to use nuclear energy peacefully was the fundamental reason negotiations stalled. He reiterated a call for the U.S. remove its nuclear weapons umbrella from South Korea.
The participants agreed to resume the talks on the week of August 29 rather than start from scratch. South Korean chief negotiator Song Min-soon said they would resume with a fourth Chinese draft of a statement of principles.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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