U.S. open to bilateral talks with N. Korea: official

By Lee Chi-dong

SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- The United States is willing to talk bilaterally with North Korea for the purpose of "facilitating the six-way denuclearization process," a senior South Korean government official said Wednesday after consultations with U.S. and Russian nuclear envoys here.

The official, speaking at a background briefing for reporters, said Seoul's
consultations with Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for North Korea
policy, and Russia's deputy nuclear negotiator Grigory Logvinov earlier this week
focused on discussing conditions for the one-on-one meeting between Pyongyang and
Washington.
The U.S. position is that "it can have dialogue with North Korea if it aims to
facilitate the process of the six-party talks," the official said on the
customary condition of anonymity.
He refused to elaborate, saying whether to have a bilateral meeting with
Pyongyang is a "subtle, political decision."
The North has been demanding direct negotiations with the U.S. outside of the
multilateral forum also joined by China and Japan. The Obama administration,
however, has made clear that it can engage Pyongyang "only in the context of the
six-party talks."
The use of the ambiguous word "context" has spawned speculation over U.S.
intentions. Some observers said Bosworth may visit Pyongyang in the near future.
"There is a chance that the U.S. will make a decision (on the issue) in the next
few weeks," the South Korean official said.
On a visit to Tokyo, the last leg of his Northeast Asian tour, on Tuesday,
Bosworth also said, "We are currently considering how best to respond to a North
Korean invitation for bilateral talks."
He added, "We have not reached a decision on how to respond to this invitation,
and we will be considering that in Washington over the next few weeks. We have
made no decisions on whether and when and how to hold bilateral talks with the
North Koreans."
Bosworth toured China, South Korea, and Japan to coordinate a strategy on North
Korea. His assistant Sung Kim had a separate meeting with the Russian envoy in
Seoul on Tuesday night.
"All five parties have no general differences, including their position on the
six-party talks, but they may have different opinions once negotiations begin
later on," the South Korean official said.
After months of provocative acts highlighted by a long-range missile launch in
April and a second nuclear experiment the following month, the North made a
series of good-will gestures that included the release of detained American and
South Korean citizens. None of the moves, however, were directly associated with
its nuclear ambitions and the North returned to its provocative behavior again
last week by announcing that it has almost acquired the technology to enrich
uranium.
Media outlets here have paid keen attention to the U.S. government's wording on
preconditions for bilateral talks with the North, which quit the six-party
negotiations in April.
The U.S. originally said the North should first return to the six-party talks,
later presenting an apparently watered-down demand that Pyongyang express its
political will to rejoin the talks.
The remarks that the U.S. may talk with North Korea if it is helpful to
restarting the six-party process may be interpreted as a further softening of
Washington's position, observers said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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