The trend in the U.S. administration appears to favor reconciliation with North Korea to the point where almost everything is possible provided the North is faithful to its denuclearization commitment.

U.S. officials are talking about striking North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism by the end of the year, while also seeking reconciliation in various other sectors. It is reminiscent of nothing so much as the Clinton administration in its final days seven years ago, when then-U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang and Vice Marshal Cho Myong-rok of North Korea visited Washington. Some observers speculated president Bill Clinton would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang.

Bogged down in Iraq, President George W. Bush has a lot riding on the resolution of the North Korean nuclear problem -- a potential diplomatic exploit without shedding a drop of blood to his credit. In these circumstances Bush has dismissed suspicions about North Korean-Syrian trade of nuclear materials, a suspicion raised by neocons who take a harder line on Pyongyang. He has also instructed his government to resume the supply of heavy fuel oil to North Korea, which was suspended in 2002 and gone so far as to praise negotiations with North Korea as a model for Iran.

At the moment, the Bush administration is unlikely to find fault with the pace of progress in North Korea's disablement of nuclear facilities, a process supposed to be complete by the end of the year. A source in Washington said, "The Bush administration is highly likely to accept even a low-level disablement of nuclear facilities whereby it would take a mere a year or two to reactivate them."

The chief negotiator in nuclear talks with the reclusive nation, Christopher Hill, has emerged as the top U.S. official in charge of North Korea policy. Hill enjoys Bush's confidence. Last Tuesday, he accompanied Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to a meeting with Bush, where he briefed Bush on his North Korea policy concept, which Bush approved. Hill apparently believes Washington should give maximum aid to North Korea as long as it keeps its commitment under the Feb. 13 denuclearization agreement. More food aid to and cultural and sport exchanges with North Korea are currently under discussion.

Hill will focus on seeking consent from the U.S. Congress to strike North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The Bush administration has so far mentioned the resolution of the problem of abducted Japanese as a precondition for striking North Korea from the list, but that is unlikely to continue.

Another diplomatic source in Washington said “a mood of détente” is building between Washington and Pyongyang in all sorts of areas. That is likely to continue through the disablement stage of the denuclearization process and before the six nations tackle actual dismantlement of all North Korean nuclear programs, including the controversial question of the North’s alleged uranium enrichment program, he added,

(englishnews@chosun.com )