Negotiating partners hold N. Korea's 'oxygen mask': S. Korean diplomat

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and other members of the stalled
international talks on denuclearizing North Korea hold "the oxygen mask" for the
communist state and will press Pyongyang until it disarms or collapses, a top
diplomat here said Thursday.
"The five parties hold the oxygen mask for North Korea," Vice Foreign Minister
Chun Yung-woo said in a speech at a forum in Seoul, referring to his country, the
U.S., China, Japan and Russia.
Chun cited U.N. arms and trade sanctions that toughened against Pyongyang when
the country went ahead with its second nuclear test in May last year, describing
their influence as "enormous."
"If we give (North Korea) no other choice but denuclearization or the end of the
regime, there is a chance of progress in denuclearization," Chun said.
"When they are convinced their nuclear ambition is not (an) insurance policy for
survival but that's the shortcut to their demise, they will be more willing to
cooperate in denuclearization," he said.
From 2006 to 2008, Chun headed the South Korean delegation to the six-party talks
that seek to reward North Korea with diplomatic and economic benefits in return
for dismantling its nuclear arms programs.
North Korea has boycotted them for more than a year, but recently said it could
rejoin them if the sanctions are lifted first and talks on formally ending the
Korean War are launched.
Describing North Korea as "desperate enough to show interest" in the resumption
of the six-party talks, Chun said he is "cautiously optimistic" that the North
will return to the negotiations, but said the state would drag its heels in
giving up its nuclear weapons programs.
"They want to dwindle," he said. "Once they come to the six-party talks, they may
wish to wait as much time as possible on other issues than the central issue of
denuclearization."
"They will play petty games," he said, suggesting the North Korean demand for a
peace treaty is designed to dilute the focus on nuclear arms development.
"The timing is not important. What is important is with what intentions North
Korea comes back when it does," he said.
Chun said the chance of success in denuclearizing North Korea is "extremely slim,
close to zero," but opposed the view that it is an illusion.
"I do not agree with those who argue that this is intrinsically and fundamentally
impossible," he said.
North Korea's "existential crisis is deepening and they are in more troubles than
before and I see no way out for North Korea," he said.
(END)