Seoul open to U.S.-N. Korea talks, but urges 6-way format: experts

SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea would welcome talks between the United
States and North Korea, but it is convinced that a permanent solution to the
current standoff with Pyongyang will only come through a multilateral framework
involving the world's other super powers, such as China and Russia, observers
here said Sunday.
The assessment came two days after the chief of North Korea's permanent mission
to the United Nations in New York said his country is not opposed to a dialogue
with the United States, signaling a possible resumption of direct negotiations
between the two.
The communist nation has been refusing to attend six-nation talks on ending its
nuclear ambitions since late last year, and declared in April that the nuclear
negotiations were permanently over. The talks involve the two Koreas, the United
States, Japan, China and Russia.
"We are not against any negotiations on issues of common concern," the North
Korean diplomat, Sin Sun-ho, was quoted as saying Friday by Japan's Kyodo news
agency.
Washington had offered to hold bilateral talks with Pyongyang within the
six-party framework if the communist nation agreed to return to the multilateral
process.
Experts here say the North's sudden change in its stance may not indicate an
immediate return to the nuclear talks, but noted it could mean that Pyongyang
feels it is running out of options.
North Korea was placed under various sanctions by the U.N. Security Council soon
after it conducted its second atomic test on May 25.
"It could be the case that this (direct talks with the U.S.) was what North Korea
had aimed for from the beginning, but this may also be a sign that it is finally
realizing that it is not getting anywhere with military threats or provocations,"
said one observer, asking not to be identified.
Washington has seemingly grown more aggressive toward the North, with U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently likening Pyongyang to a small child
demanding attention.
North Korea's foreign ministry issued a counteroffensive last week, calling
Clinton a "funny lady" who looks like a "primary schoolgirl."
Seoul has often asked Washington to put multilateral negotiations before
bilateral talks with Pyongyang out of fear that its interests may be forced to
take a backseat to U.S.-North Korea relations.
Experts here, however, say the government in Seoul is unlikely to oppose a
resumption of direct negotiations between the two.
"North Korea may think that the current soured relations between the two Koreas
may not be favorable for its negotiations with the United States. Therefore, it
may try to improve inter-Korean ties before engaging in any direct negotiations
with the U.S.," another expert said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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