ID :
101242
Wed, 01/20/2010 - 02:31
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/101242
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea, U.S. out to break N. Korea's pattern of belligerence: official
By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will not give in to
North Korea's demands in order to resume negotiations on ending the North's
nuclear ambition, saying that this time, they will try to "break" the communist
nation's pattern of brinkmanship, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday.
The remarks came one day after North Korea said for the second time in a week it
will not return to the six-nation nuclear talks until U.N.-imposed sanctions on
the country are removed.
The talks were last held in December 2008. North Korea said in April that it will
permanently quit the talks that also involve South Korea, the U.S., Japan, China
and Russia.
The ministry official, who is well-informed on the six-party process, noted the
North's demand for the removal of U.N. sanctions is one that could very well
further stall the talks, noting the sanctions can only be removed by the U.N.
Security Council when it sees progress in North Korea's denuclearization, as it
said in its resolution that imposed the sanctions in the first place.
The official said neither the U.S. nor South Korea has the authority to remove
the sanctions, but that they would not do so even if they had the means.
"Maintaining a distance from such practices of ours in the past is our current
stance. What the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. said at their bilateral
summit last year, too, was that they will stay away from such practices," the
official told reporters.
The official was referring to an agreement between South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, in June, in which they said the
countries will work to "break a pattern" in which North Korea behaves in a
belligerent fashion, and if it waits long enough, it is rewarded.
"That is to say we have always suffered from such a syndrome, but that it does
not mean we always have to," the official said.
The official noted it will take some time before the countries can change the way
North Korea behaves.
"We will need some time to reach a compromise with North Korea while the North is
waging an international campaign on this issue (of removing the U.N. sanctions).
And we do not know how much time will be needed," he said, asking not to be
identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
South Korea's top nuclear negotiator, Wi Sung-lac, is scheduled to visit
Washington this week for discussions with his U.S. counterparts on ways to bring
North Korea back to the nuclear negotiations, ministry officials said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States will not give in to
North Korea's demands in order to resume negotiations on ending the North's
nuclear ambition, saying that this time, they will try to "break" the communist
nation's pattern of brinkmanship, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday.
The remarks came one day after North Korea said for the second time in a week it
will not return to the six-nation nuclear talks until U.N.-imposed sanctions on
the country are removed.
The talks were last held in December 2008. North Korea said in April that it will
permanently quit the talks that also involve South Korea, the U.S., Japan, China
and Russia.
The ministry official, who is well-informed on the six-party process, noted the
North's demand for the removal of U.N. sanctions is one that could very well
further stall the talks, noting the sanctions can only be removed by the U.N.
Security Council when it sees progress in North Korea's denuclearization, as it
said in its resolution that imposed the sanctions in the first place.
The official said neither the U.S. nor South Korea has the authority to remove
the sanctions, but that they would not do so even if they had the means.
"Maintaining a distance from such practices of ours in the past is our current
stance. What the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. said at their bilateral
summit last year, too, was that they will stay away from such practices," the
official told reporters.
The official was referring to an agreement between South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, in June, in which they said the
countries will work to "break a pattern" in which North Korea behaves in a
belligerent fashion, and if it waits long enough, it is rewarded.
"That is to say we have always suffered from such a syndrome, but that it does
not mean we always have to," the official said.
The official noted it will take some time before the countries can change the way
North Korea behaves.
"We will need some time to reach a compromise with North Korea while the North is
waging an international campaign on this issue (of removing the U.N. sanctions).
And we do not know how much time will be needed," he said, asking not to be
identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
South Korea's top nuclear negotiator, Wi Sung-lac, is scheduled to visit
Washington this week for discussions with his U.S. counterparts on ways to bring
North Korea back to the nuclear negotiations, ministry officials said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
