U.S. willing to engage N. Korea bilaterally in multilateral context: envoy

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- The United States is open to bilateral contact with
North Korea, but only within a larger multilateral context aimed at irreversible
denuclearization of the communist country, Washington's ambassador to South Korea
said Tuesday.
"The U.S. remains willing to engage N. Korea bilaterally within the framework of
the six-party process," Amb. Kathleen Stephens told a group of lawmakers at a
function held at the National Assembly in Seoul.
After months of provocations, highlighted by long-range rocket and nuclear tests,
the communist regime has sought to reach out to the outside world and invited
Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, to
visit Pyongyang.
Growing impatient at a perceived lack of response in Washington, Pyongyang on
Monday said it was up to the U.S. to make the next move and warned it "will go
its own way" should the U.S. not be ready to talk.
The two countries are members of the so-called six-party process that also
includes South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.
The ambassador stressed that any bilateral dialogue with Pyongyang on the North's
nuclear program would ultimately be dealt as a multilateral issue.
"We do think this (the nuclear stalemate) is a multilateral issue, not a
bilateral issue simply with the U.S., although we are certainly prepared to play
our role," she said.
Regarding a recent meeting between Sung Kim, Washington's special envoy for the
six-party talks, and Ri Gun, director general of the North American bureau of the
North's foreign ministry, in the U.S., the ambassador said she hopes the meeting
will serve as the beginning for North's return to the six-party talks.
"It is our sincere hope that this meeting will start the process of getting North
Korea back into a multilateral talks process."
Stephens also underscored that the U.S. was not prepared to discuss a "normalized
relationship" with a North that insists on having a nuclear program, saying
Pyongyang's nuclear ambition makes the process "very difficult."
She reaffirmed that the parties involved in the denuclearization talks were
"ready" to provide North Korea "with the kind of assistance that it very much
needs" in a path to denuclearization through diplomacy.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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