S. Korea to back N. Korea-U.S. talks on missile: minister

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's foreign minister said Monday that his
country would support missile negotiations between North Korea and the United
States as it did in the waning days of the Clinton administration.

The former U.S. government held intensive talks with North Korea on its missile
program, but the negotiations faltered as Pyongyang reportedly demanded a
substantial compensation for its suspension of development and shipment of
missiles and parts to Iran, Syria and other Middle Eastern countries.
"We regard such talks as necessary," Yu Myung-hwan said in his monthly press
briefing when asked about South Korea's position on the matter. "We were involved
a lot in the U.S.-North Korea missile negotiations around the end of the Clinton
administration. There had been close consultations between South Korea and the
U.S. on the issue."
Yu's comments came amid media speculation that Pyongyang is ultimately seeking to
resume direct talks with Washington on its missile activity. The North has
already given notice to related global agencies that it will launch a rocket
carrying a "communication satellite" some time between April 4-8. South Korea and
its allies view it as a cover for a long-range missile test, pointing out the
launch technology can be used for inter-continental ballistic missiles capable of
carrying nuclear warheads.
The minister said the secretive nation's missile program poses an even greater
threat, as it conducted a nuclear test in 2006.
"Developing long-range missile capability after a nuclear test is literally (the
development of) weapons of mass destruction ," he said.
Yu said his country and its allies are currently concentrating efforts to
persuade the North not to go ahead with a rocket launch.
"We are trying to assure North Korea that a long-range rocket launch will not
serve its national interest," he said.
As part of such diplomatic efforts, Seoul's top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac
consulted with his Japanese counterpart Akitaka Saiki in Tokyo earlier Monday.
Wi said he and Saiki agreed that the North would face U.N. sanctions if it fires
a rocket in violation of Security Resolution 1718 that bans Pyongyang from being
involved in all activity related to its ballistic missile program.
"We agreed this issue would be discussed at the Security Council," said Wi, who
plans to visit Beijing later this month for discussions with Chinese officials
on the matter.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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