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A second day of six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea¡¯s nuclear program saw the U.S. accuse the Stalinist country of continuing nuclear arms development despite agreeing in the last round of talks to abandon the program. The charge was reportedly met by grandstanding from Pyongyang, which demanded the U.S. recognize it as a nuclear power.
U.S. chief negotiator Christopher Hill said the North continued to operate a graphite reactor in Yongbyon. Hill urged the North to open its nuclear facilities to inspection voluntarily, saying he did not want the country to forfeit such trust as it has built up in the international community.
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U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill answers reporter¡¯s question in the lobby of the Traders Hotel before leaving for a second day of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear dispute in Beijing on Thursday morning.
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The North Korean delegation headed by Kim Kye-gwan parried it was the U.S. that through a series of actions undermined trust in the joint declaration. It was quoted as reiterating there could be no progress in the talks unless Washington abandons its ¡°hostile¡± policies toward Pyongyang.
Other participants delivered their scheduled thoughts on how to implement North Korea¡¯s abandonment of its nuclear program, normalization of diplomatic relations between North Korea and the U.S., and energy support. But a South Korean official said because North Korea raised ¡°new problems,¡± the talks were unable to tackle the actual agenda. He would not reveal what the new problems were, citing pending negotiations.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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