6-party talks to break down if U.S. sanctions N. Korea over rocket: report

SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea will reject the six-party
denuclearization talks should the Barack Obama administration sanction it over
its rocket launch, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper hinted Thursday.
However, North Korea is ready to respond if the U.S. proposes dialogue, said the
Choson Sinbo, a Tokyo-based paper that conveys North Korea's position.
"It is too early to predict which action the Obama administration that has said
its North Korea policy is 'under review' will take," the paper said. "One thing
that is certain is that should it choose to go with sanctions and pressure, its
dialogue process with North Korea that has been held through the diplomatic frame
of six-party talks will face the risk of suspension."
North Korea and the U.S. have been negotiating ways to end the North's nuclear
weapons program since 2003, along with South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.
Washington removed North Korea from its list of terrorism-sponsoring nations, and
the North began disabling its major nuclear facility in Yongbyon as part of the
action-for-action deal. But the process stopped late last year due to a dispute
over how to verify the North's past nuclear activity.
Tension erupted again in January after intelligence officials detected North
Korea's alleged missile activity at a base on the country's eastern coast. Early
this month, Pyongyang told international aviation and maritime agencies that it
will put a "communications satellite" into orbit between April 4-8, saying the
launch is part of its space development program. The U.S., Japan and South Korea
suspect it could be a cover for testing a long-range missile. A top American
general this week said the U.S. could shoot down the North Korean rocket should
it be a ballistic missile threatening U.S. territory.
Pyongyang has warned any foreign attempt to intercept its rocket will lead to war.
"The satellite launch in April will take place as scheduled," the paper said in a
commentary titled "North Korea gives chance for self-reflection through its
notice of satellite launch plan."
North Korea has said that its notice of the coordinates where the rocket boosters
will fall -- the first one approximately 650km east of the launch site, and the
second 3,600km east of the site. The notice is a further message to countries in
the region that North Korea aims for peaceful space development, the Choson Sinbo
said.
"Sanctions and pressure by hostile nations against North Korea's exercise of its
sovereign right have never improved the situation," it said, but triggered "super
hardline responses" from North Korea.
Contrary to its wait-and-see approach toward the U.S., the paper hurled harsh
criticism at South Korea and Japan.
"Those countries who rashly act, taking the current situation as an opportunity
to sharpen their confrontational policy toward North Korea, will be forced to
face 'diplomatic retaliation' when the missile fuss comes to a settlement stage,"
it said, referring to South Korea and Japan.
In another commentary, the Choson Sinbo said North Korea wants dialogue with the
U.S.
"It is only a matter of time that the Obama administration will have to choose
between 'dialogue and confrontation,' 'war and peace,'" it said. "Should the
Obama administration choose 'dialogue' and 'peace,' North Korea is ready to
respond."
hkim@yna.co.kr
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