S. Korea to urge N. Korea to rejoin NPT in upcoming international meeting

By Lee Chi-dong

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to reiterate its call for North Korea to return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) during a major international meeting early next month, officials here said Monday.

South Korea will send Oh Joon, deputy foreign minister for international
organization, global issues and treaties, to the Third Preparatory Conference for
parties to the NPT to be held in New York from May 4-15, they added.
"Deputy Minister Oh will call for North Korea to rejoin the NPT in his keynote
speech during the session," a ministry official said on the condition of
anonymity.
North Korea declared withdrawal from the NPT in 2003.
Moon Tae-young, ministry spokesman, said earlier in the day the forthcoming NPT
meeting is meaningful as it comes as U.S. President Barack Obama seeks to bolster
the regime which many observers say was weakened during the Bush administration.
"It is the first NPT meeting since the launch of the Obama administration," Moon
said in a press briefing. "It is notable that the meeting takes place amid
growing global interest in disarmament and nonproliferation."
Oh is scheduled to meet with Rose Gottemoeller, U.S. assistant secretary of state
for verification and compliance, on the sidelines of the meeting, added Moon.