U.S. Ambassador to Korea Alexander Vershbow

U.S. Ambassador to Korea Alexander Vershbow on Wednesday said a U.S.-North Korea summit might be possible before the end of President George W. Bush's term if Pyongyang scraps all nuclear weapons next year. Vershbow was speaking at the Wednesday Policy Forum hosted by the National Strategy Institute. "I think that (a summit) might be possible before the end of President Bush's term if North Korea makes the right decisions and is ready to go all the way, not just disablement but full denuclearization,” he said. But he warned it would be a mistake for the impoverished state to expect international aid and improvement in its diplomatic standing if it only takes half measures.

On YTN on the same day, Vershbow said, "I think the context we've had, and reports we've had from other participants with direct exchanges with North Korea, give us a reasonable degree of confidence that the current stage will be completed successfully by the end of this year." But he added, "The six-party talks will enhance the chances for greater peace on the Korean Peninsula, while recognizing the big challenge -- actually getting rid of nuclear weapons and eliminating the nuclear programs -- still lies ahead as a challenge for 2008." In other words, second phase currently under way is a preliminary process, but the real problem is completely dismantling nuclear weapons and nuclear materials.

(englishnews@chosun.com )