U.S. doesn't want to use force in denuclearizing N.K.: envoy

By Tony Chang

SEOUL, March 23 (Yonhap) -- The United States is committed to diplomatic efforts in denuclearizing North Korea, its envoy to Seoul reiterated Monday, dismissing the possibility of resorting to military force.

"We have to be very persistent and strong. We don't want to see war here,"
responded U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens after a lecture to university
students in Seoul when asked whether Washington would consider using force as an
option to end North Korea's nuclear program.
The U.S. has been engaging in multilateral talks to end the North's nuclear
developments through six-party talks, also involving South Korea, China, Japan
and Russia. The negotiations have been stalled since December as Pyongyang
rejected a proposed protocol on verifying its past nuclear activities and
stockpile.
"Nobody wants to see war and violence on the Korean Peninsula. Everyone
understands what a disastrous course that would be," Stephens said.
Washington also wants to see "renewed dialogue" between the two Koreas, Stephens
said.
"We want to see renewed dialogue between the North and South, a better
relationship and an end to the sort of provocative rhetoric and behavior that
we've seen recently," said Stephens.
As the U.S. and South Korea wrapped up an annual 12-day joint military drill on
Friday, the North restored a military communication line with the South on
Saturday, which it had cut off in protest of the joint exercise.
The North had sealed the inter-Korean border three times during the drill period
and arbitrarily held South Koreans visiting a joint industrial complex in its
border city of Kaesong.
On the issue of two American reporters detained by North Korea since last week,
Stephens said that there were "a lot of diplomatic efforts going on."
"As the (U.S. State Department) spokesman has said, Secretary (Hillary) Clinton
has engaged (on the matter) and we'll continue to be engaged on it," the
ambassador said.
Pyongyang confirmed Saturday it is holding two U.S. female reporters who
allegedly illegally crossed the border into the North.
Concerning U.S.-South Korean relations and coordinated plans to tackle the global
economic crisis, Stephens said the leaders have a "big agenda" for a bilateral
summit expected to be held on the sidelines of the G20 economic summit slated for
next month in London.
"I'm sure President (Barack) Obama and President Lee Myung-bak will discuss some
of these steps (to improve bilateral ties), as well as all the global challenges
we face when they meet in about 10 days' time in London," Stephens said on the
first expected face-to-face meeting between the two leaders, without providing
more details.