Seoul's nuclear envoy hints at early start of talks on peace treaty with N. Korea

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top negotiator in six-nation talks over
North Korea's nuclear program on Sunday hinted at a slight change in Seoul's
position on talks for a peace treaty with the communist North, saying such
dialogue could be held in parallel with the nuclear negotiations.
Seoul earlier said such talks could only be held after North Korea returns to the
six-way talks on ending its nuclear ambitions and takes denuclearization
measures.
Wi Sung-lac, the chief nuclear envoy, said his country will hold the nuclear
talks and negotiations for a peace treaty simultaneously "in a way that they do
not clash with each other, but create a synergy that will mutually help the
other."
North Korea earlier this month said its return to the nuclear negotiations,
attended by the two Koreas, the U.S., Japan, China and Russia, must be preceded
by the start of talks on formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War that only ended
with an armistice.
Pyongyang also said last week that it will not return to the six-party talks
until sanctions imposed on it last year by the U.N. Security Council are removed.
Wi, returning from a trip to the U.S. on Sunday, said both Seoul and Washington
remained firm that the sanctions can only be removed by the U.N. Security
Council, and after the North returns to the nuclear negotiations and makes
progress in its denuclearization.
He noted, however, the countries may begin discussing replacing the Korean
armistice with a peace agreement in the near future.
"Once the denuclearization process gains driving force, we can start discussing
the two separate issues at the same time," Wi said.
During his four-day visit to Washington, the chief nuclear negotiator met with
his U.S. counterpart Sung Kim and various other officials, including Deputy
Secretary of State James Steinberg and Special Representative for North Korea
Policy Stephen Bosworth.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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