Obama to prioritize N. Korean nuke: Seoul envoy

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top nuclear envoy said Friday that the
new American government will give a priority to the North Korean nuclear issue,
dismissing worries here that it may be put on the back burner.
"I am not worried," Kim Sook said. "The North Korean nuclear issue may not be as
urgent as the (conflict) in the Gaza Strip. But it would be high on the list of
priorities in both the short and long term in view of nuclear proliferation and
weapons of mass destruction."
He added that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other senior U.S. officials
pointed out the urgency of handling the nuclear issue during their congressional
confirmation hearing.
Many have expressed concerns that the Barack Obama administration, preoccupied
with dealing with troubles in Iraq and Afghanistan, is likely to pay less
attention to North Korea.
Kim also said that he plans to have a lunch meeting with his Japanese counterpart
Akitaka Saiki in Seoul next Thursday. Saiki, head of the Japanese Foreign
Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, is due to visit South Korea from
Jan. 29-30 mainly to attend an annual meeting of Japanese envoys here. Japan has
consulates in Busan and Jeju Island along with its embassy in Seoul.
"We will discuss a future strategy," Kim said.
He said that the South Korean government has not asked Wang Jiarui, head of the
Chinese Communist Party's International Department, to convey a message on the
nuclear crisis or inter-Korean ties.
Wang met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang earlier in the day.
"China is well aware of the importance of the nuclear issue and it has expressed
support for inter-Korean dialogue," Kim said, adding Wang is expected to raise
the matters during his ongoing trip to North Korea.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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