S. Korea 'not opposed' to N. Korea-U.S. dialogue: ministry

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Monday it is not opposed to any form
of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, saying the Obama
administration has promised to pursue it while maintaining close consultations
with Seoul.
North Korea has been holding out hope for bilateral talks with the U.S., while
making clear its rejection of the six-way disarmament talks also involving South
Korea, China, Russia, and Japan.
"There is a specific and reserved form of dialogue that can address the current
situation," the North's foreign ministry said in a statement by an unidentified
spokesperson.
It was one of the most clear signals of Pyongyang's desire for talks with
Washington in recent months, which have marked by a series of provocations by the
defiant regime including its second nuclear test on May 25.
In New York, the North's ambassador to the U.N., Sin Son-ho, called a rare
interview with foreign media over the weekend and said, "We are not against
dialogue. We are not against any negotiation on issues of common concern."
He reaffirmed that his country will never return to the six-way talks, however.
South Korea urged North Korea to rejoin the Beijing-based negotiations, which
have been stalled for half a year.
"We hope that North Korea will return to the six-way talks at an early date,"
Seoul's foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said. "We are not opposed to
dialogue between North Korea and the U.S."
Moon added that the U.S. has assured that it will seek talks with the North, if
needed, in close consultation with the South.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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