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The UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea will not be halted or eased after the North returns to six-party talks on its nuclear program, a government official said Tuesday. The UNSC will decide on the future of the sanctions and their intensity depending on North Korea¡¯s attitude and actions.
If North Korea changes its attitude, the UN can consider easing the sanctions based on articles 13 and 14 of Resolution 1718 condemning the North¡¯s nuclear test, which call for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis, an early resumption of the six-way talks and implementation of a statement of principles agreed in the talks in September last year.
But for now, the North¡¯s decision to return to the negotiating table does not seem to affect other punitive action taken by Japan and the U.S. A government official said the ultimate goal of Resolution 1718 is to force North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. Countries will stand firm against North Korea until Pyongyang scraps its nuclear program since they do not trust the Stalinist country, he added.
All eyes are on whether Seoul will resume its food and fertilizer aid to Pyongyang. The North¡¯s return to negotiations is expected to restart inter-Korean talks.
North Korea will likely remain stubborn although it has decided to rejoin the six-party talks. When it came back to the negotiations last year, the North argued it was a nuclear power and should talk with the U.S. about mutual nuclear disarmament. Having now tested a nuclear weapon, it is not expected to soften. However, experts say Pyongyang could dig in its heels in the early stages of talks and then climb down, given that it apparently gave in to pressure from China, the U.S. and the international community when it decided to return to the negotiating table.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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