N. Korea's return to nuke talks won't automatically ease U.N. sanctions: Seoul

(ATTN: UPDATES with minister's comments on Yongbyon site, relations with Japan in
last 8 paras)
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and other regional powers will maintain the
"two-track approach" of engaging North Korea and also enforcing punitive
sanctions on it under a U.N. resolution even if Pyongyang resumes its bilateral
and multilateral nuclear talks, Seoul's top diplomat said Thursday.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said Seoul does not want a repeat of 2006, when
the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution to punish the North for its first
nuclear test but did not fully implement it once the communist regime rejoined
the six-nation disarmament talks with South Korea, the U.S., China, Russia and
Japan.
Other involved countries share Seoul's view, he said.
South Korea's position is to continue the two-track approach "until North Korea
takes irreversible steps towards denuclearization. Other nations have also
reached a consensus on it," the minister said at a press briefing.
Yu said China has reaffirmed its will to fully implement the U.N. Security
Council Resolution 1874, the latest punitive action against the North adopted
after its missile and second nuclear tests.
China's intent was questioned when its Premier Wen Jiabao signed several
cooperation pacts with North Korea during his visit to Pyongyang earlier this
week. The agreements reportedly entail massive aid worth about US$20 million,
including the construction of a bridge over the Yalu River along their border.
South Korean officials and analysts raised concerns that China's move may weaken
international efforts to enforce the U.N. resolution.
"I understand that China has an unchanged stance to fully implement the
resolution," Yu said. "And the U.N. Security Council 1874 excludes humanitarian
aid and development cooperation (from activities subject to sanctions)."
Yu said the U.S. is very cautious not to give a wrong signal to North Korea and
other countries in pushing for bilateral contact with Pyongyang. He confirmed
media reports that North Korea has invited Stephen Bosworth, special
representative for North Korea policy, and Sung Kim, special envoy on the
six-party talks, to visit Pyongyang for bilateral talks.
"The U.S. is making delicate efforts not to give an impression that such a
bilateral meeting will replace the six-way talks," Yu said. "U.S.-North Korea
bilateral contact is what North Korea wants, and the U.S. has confined the
purpose of the bilateral talks to urging North Korea to come back to the six-way
talks."
The minister said North Korea was "playing double" by expressing its intent for
dialogue while continuing nuclear activities.
"The Feb. 13 and Oct. 3 agreements have become meaningless as North Korea has
undone its disabling (of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities) and is reprocessing
(plutonium)," he said. The Yongbyon site is the hub for the North's nuclear
program. The facilities there had been almost disabled under the two six-party
deals in 2007 that follow up on an preceding agreement of 2005 in which the North
agreed to abandon all of its nuclear program in return for political and economic
incentives.
Yu said, however, his government believes that the North has not yet restarted
the 5-megawatt nuclear reactor in Yongbyon, refusing to go into details of the
intelligence-related matter.
He supported the idea of his Japanese counterpart Katsuya Okada to teach students
in South Korea, Japan, and China with a common history textbook to resolve
long-standing disputes among the countries over their shared history marked by
Japanese colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula (1910-1945) and wartime crimes.
"I evaluate his view highly in terms of the need for young generation in the
three nations to have correct and common historical perceptions. We will have
consultations for it in a long-term perspective," Yu said.
He added the leaders of South Korea and Japan are unlikely to have in-depth
discussions on a possible trip by Japanese Emperor Akihito to South Korea when
they hold a summit here on Friday.
President Lee Myung-bak expressed hope last month for the emperor to visit South
Korea next year to "end the sense of distance between the two countries."
"I think it is a bit early to talk concretely about the timing," he said, adding
it is a matter for the Japanese government to give an answer as Seoul has
formally invited the emperor.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)