Clinton says N. Korea's missile threats "provocative, unhelpful"

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Feb. 20 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed
Friday that North Korea's missile threats would harm the six-way disarmament
talks and urged the communist nation to return to the bargaining table.

"We are calling on the government of North Korea to refrain from being
provocative and unhelpful in a war of words they engaged in because it is not
fruitful," Clinton said in a press conference here after talks with her South
Korean counterpart, Yu Myung-hwan.
She also announced President Barack Obama's appointment of Stephen Bosworth, a
former U.S. ambassador to Seoul, as the top U.S. official handling the North
Korean issue.
"We need a capable and experienced diplomat to stem our risks from North Korea's
nuclear ambitions," she said, adding Bosworth will serve as senior emissary in
dealing with North Korea and directly report to her and Obama.
The secretary said that North Korea is "not going to get a different relationship
with U.S." if it shuns dialogue with S. Korea.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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