Bosworth-six-party talks

WASHINGTON, April 3 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. special representative for North Korea Friday urged the isolated communist state to return to six-party talks on ending its nuclear ambitions regardless of its proposed rocket launch.

Stephen Bosworth also told a news briefing here that the U.S. holds a long-term
goal of the North's complete and verifiable denuclearization despite the
impending launch in defiance of the United Nations.
"Regardless of the short-term problem, everyone has a long-term interest in
getting back to the negotiations in the six-party process as expeditiously as
possible," Bosworth said. "I am not able to predict when it might occur. That
remains, of course, our long-term goal. We will hope to be able to return to that
goal in a reasonable period of time."
Bosworth said he hopes that the North will not link any Security Council action
to the six-party talks.
"I would hope they would not link the two issues because in my point of view both
are important," he said. "I am confident that when we get back to the negotiating
table in the six-party process we will be able to find solutions."
North Korea has threatened to abandon the six-party talks if the U.S. and its
allies bring the rocket launch to the U.N. Security Council for punitive action.
The talks have been stalled over how to verify North Korea's nuclear activities
Pyongyang has also hinted at conducting a second nuclear test in disregard to
U.N. resolution 1718, adopted in 2006 after the North's ballistic missile launch
and first nuclear test. The sanctions under the 2006 resolution are believed to
be largely neglected by member states due to lack of strong implementation
measures.
The resolution bans any ballistic missile and nuclear activities by the North,
prevents U.N. member states from trading nuclear and other weapons and
weapons-related technology with North Korea and cuts off shipments of luxury
goods.
Experts say the U.S. and its allies may seek ways to effectively implement the
resolution rather than pursuing another resolution in the face of Chinese and
Russian reluctance.
Bosworth's remarks follow an agreement made earlier in the day between South
Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Chinese President Hu Jintao in London to
continue to seek the nuclear dismantlement talks even after the North's rocket
launch, expected within days.
Lee and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed Thursday to seek strong U.N. measures
against the North's proposed rocket launch. North Korea claims it is part of a
space program to orbit a satellite, but observers say a similar booster could
carry a nuclear warhead.
China's Hu, however, in bilateral meetings with Lee and Obama in London, stopped
short of agreeing to any security council action.
Bosworth urged North Korea "not to launch this, whether it is a satellite launch
or missile launch," adding, "It is a provocative act and we hope that they will
still reconsider and not do this."
"If it does occur, we will be continuing to work closely with our partners and
our allies in the U.N. Security Council to consult vigorously on what action
might be appropriate," he said. "We believe that a defiance of a U.N. Security
Council resolution is an action that requires some consequences."
Bosworth, however, expressed concern about an adverse impact of action by the
Security Council on the resumption of the six-party talks.
"In my experience of dealing with North Korea, pressure is not the most
productive one of approach. We have to combine pressure and incentives," he said
without elaborating on the incentives.
On the criticism that he lacks time to deal with North Korea properly as a
part-timer, he said, "I committed to, devoted much time necessary to this
mission. I've been doing so. I am not concerned about the part-time issue. I
demonstrated to my partners that I am accessible and available and that I can
travel wherever."
Bosworth is dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
in Massachusetts.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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