U.S. waiting response from N. Korea on 6-way talks resumption: State Dept.

By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- The United States expressed optimism Tuesday that North Korea will come back to the six-party talks on ending its nuclear weapons programs even though Pyongyang has yet to say when that might happen.

"We thought we had a constructive meeting, but we obviously await, you know, a
formal indication from North Korea as to what it's prepared to do," said Philip
Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public affairs. "There have been a
number of times where people have declared the six-party process dead before. I
think those claims of mortality have been premature."
Crowley was discussing the outcome of the visit to Pyongyang by Stephen Bosworth,
special representative for North Korea policy, earlier this month in the first
high-level contact with the North since President Barack Obama's inauguration in
January.
Bosworth said last week that he failed to obtain the North's commitment to reopen
the six-party talks, stalled over U.N. sanctions for its nuclear and missile
tests, but was still optimistic.
"They've indicated they would like to resume the six-party process," he said.
"They have agreed on the essential nature of the joint statement of 2005."
The 2005 six-party deal calls for North Korea's nuclear dismantlement in return
for massive economic aid, diplomatic recognition by Washington and Tokyo and
establishment of a peace regime to replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53
Korean War.
Crowley said Bosworth has conveyed Washington's position clearly.
"As Ambassador Bosworth told you last week, our message to North Korea during his
recent visit to Pyongyang was very clear," the spokesman said. "We want to see
North Korea return to the six-party process."
Bosworth himself said that he conveyed "very directly to the North Korean
leadership a vision for the future which would be a lot different than the
present or the past, and ways in which we could improve both our bilateral
relationship and improve North Korea's overall relationships within Northeast
Asia."
The U.S. point man on North Korea conveyed Obama's personal letter to North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il through Kang Sok-ju, first vice foreign minister in
charge of the nuclear issue, "to convince them to do what is in their interest,
and that's come back to the table and ultimately live up to the agreements they
signed to give up and to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula."
U.S. officials have said they will not reward the North just for returning to the
six-party talks, and reiterated the U.S. will continue sanctions on the North
until it returns to the talks and takes substantial steps toward its
denuclearization.
They noted the cargo plane impounded in Bangkok earlier this week while carrying
35 tons of North Korean weapons to an unknown destination.
Bosworth said the timing of the reopening of the six-party talks will be "the
subject of ongoing consultations."
Crowley said last week Washington is ready to have another high-level meeting
with North Korea toward that end.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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