U.S. about to set timing for talks with N. Korea: Seoul envoy

By Lee Chi-dong

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- The United States is expected to decide "soon" whether and when to hold bilateral dialogue with North Korea, South Korea's chief nuclear envoy said Wednesday.

The prospects and the stakes in the dialogue took a new twist Tuesday after the
North announced it finished reprocessing its 8,000 spent fuel rods, which would
give the communist regime enough weapons-grade plutonium for one or two nuclear
bombs.
"It has been a long time since North Korea has invited the U.S. (for bilateral
talks). It is time for the U.S. to set its position," Wi Sung-lac, special
representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, said in an
interview with Yonhap News Agency's video news.
"What I was told most recently is that the U.S. will soon make a decision, but I
don't know about the results yet."
The U.S. declared earlier its willingness to engage the North bilaterally, but it
has been cautious about the timing and agenda.
For months, State Department officials have repeated that they are considering
whether to accept Pyongyang's invitation for Stephen Bosworth, special
representative for North Korea policy, to visit there and if so, when he will
make the high-stakes trip.
Wi said that although the North's latest announcement of its nuclear activity was
not unexpected, it would not help the pursuit or the process of one-on-one talks
with Washington.
The Seoul official plans to visit Washington later this week to get updates on
the U.S. position following last week's meetings in New York and San Diego
between Ri Gun, the North's deputy nuclear envoy, and Sung Kim, special envoy for
the six-party talks.
Seoul's No. 2 nuclear negotiator, Hwang Joon-kook, left for Washington Wednesday
to prepare for Wi's trip that is expected to begin Thursday. The South Korean
officials are likely to travel to Tokyo on their way back to discuss the nuclear
issue with their Japanese counterparts.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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