S. Korean FM expects Pyongyang-Washington dialogue to bear fruit

By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan expressed
hope Tuesday that the upcoming talks between North Korea and the United States
will lead to the resumption of the long-stalled process of denuclearizing the
communist neighbor.

"The government expects the North Korea-U.S. contact to play a positive role in
resolving the North Korean nuclear problem," Yu said at a press briefing.
The U.S. announced earlier this month that it will send Stephen Bosworth, special
representative for North Korean policy, to Pyongyang to coax leaders there to
return to the six-party nuclear talks.
Bosworth's trip, whose date has not been revealed yet, would set the stage for
the first direct talks between the North and the U.S. under the Obama
administration.
The minister, however, said there was no sign of Pyongyang changing its
decades-old pursuit of nuclear weapons while bent on one-on-one negotiations with
Washington.
"South Korea will maintain close consultations with the U.S." as Washington
pushes for dialogue with North Korea, Yu said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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