S. Korea struggles to justify new nuclear deal with N. Korea

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean nuclear negotiators on Wednesday tried hard to justify an agreement on verifying North Korea's nuclear program and Seoul's role in the process.

South Korea's top nuclear envoy Kim Sook debriefed senior opposition party
lawmakers on the deal under which the North will allow international experts to
make scientific inspection of its main nuclear facilities. In return, Pyongyang
has been removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that North Korea resumed
disabling its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon, raising hopes that the six-way
disarmament talks will be reconvened later this month.
"The delisting will enable North Korea to be exposed to the international
community," Kim was quoted as telling the Grand National Party leaders by the
party's spokesman Cha Myung-jin.
Kim said the six-way talks will be held soon but the host China has yet to
propose a date for the negotiations also involving the U.S., Russia, and Japan.
Kim was also to meet with Chung Se-kyun, leader of the main opposition Democratic
Party, later in the day at the National Assembly.
In a rare contribution to a newspaper, Kim said the verification deal has
normalized the six-way process, although there is still a long way to go for the
denuclearization of North Korea.
He also emphasized Seoul's contributions to the process.
"In the latest phase surrounding the verification issue, we (South Korea) were
able to have our demands included in the negotiation process through in-depth
dialogue with the U.S. government," he said in the column carried by the Chosun
Ilbo on its Wednesday edition. He did not elaborate what the demands were.
His claim is apparently aimed at soothing criticisms that the compromise is too
flawed to fully check the North's nuclear claims, and that South Korea and the
other parties were left out of the negotiating process led by the U.S. and North
Korea.
Critics point out that the verification protocol fails to force the secretive
communist nation to open all of its suspected nuclear sites.
"Some of the general provisions, for example, 'mutual consent' to obtain access
to undeclared sites, could become a problem in the future if the DPRK (North
Korea) refuses to cooperate. In other words, the agreement is a step forward but
doesn't resolve all the verification issues," Gary Samore, vice president of the
U.S. Council on Foreign Relations said, citing Pyongyang's June declaration of
its atomic weapons program.
A key presidential aide on security affairs said Tuesday that the latest nuclear
deal was necessary to keep afloat the six-way talks and the U.S. decision was
based on consultations with South Korea.
Seoul's chief negotiator Kim was informed of details on the outcome of Assistant
Secretary of State Christopher Hill's trip to Pyongyang earlier this month upon
his return to Seoul, according to the official who asked not to be named.
President Lee Myung-bak was briefed by Kim the following day, he added.