[USFK Forums] N. Korea slightly tones down nuclear rhetoric [Reuters]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Wednesday, February 1, 2006

Tuesday January 31, 5:19 PM

North Korea slightly tones down nuclear talks rhetoric

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea slightly toned down the rhetoric on Tuesday about its reluctance to return to six-party nuclear talks, but analysts said too many obstacles remain for a quick resumption of the discussions.

North Korea's secretive and centralised ways mean diplomats and analysts closely scrutinise all public comments coming from Pyongyang for signs of a shift in emphasis.

Six-country talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programmes -- one of the most critical regional security problems -- have hit a snag since the last round took place in November.

North Korea objects to a U.S. crackdown on firms Washington suspects of helping the North with illegal activities such as counterfeiting and money laundering.

North Korea has said it is unthinkable for it to return to the table while Washington is trying to topple its leaders with economic sanctions.

On Tuesday, North Korea criticised the United States but stopped short of dismissing a return to talks, as it has done in recent weeks, analysts noted.

"The U.S. should face up to the reality with a cool head and stop at once such criminal moves to throw obstacles to the efforts for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," the communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary.

"Otherwise, it would be hard to expect any progress in the six-party talks and the settlement of the pending issues between the DPRK and the U.S.," said the commentary, carried by the official KCNA news agency. North Korea is formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"There is a slight change of nuance," said Noriyuki Suzuki, chief analyst at the Tokyo-based Radiopress news agency, which specialises in monitoring North Korean media.

STRINGING THE BEADS

Christopher Hill, chief U.S. envoy to the six-party talks, said in an interview with Reuters last week that North Korea had hinted it might observe international standards on money laundering.

One South Korean government official familiar with the talks said Hill's meeting with the North Korean and Chinese envoys to the talks earlier this month had helped the process, as did a trip by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to China in January.

"The countries have not been able to string the beads yet, so we can't speak in terms of dates for resuming the talks, but we are gradually laying the foundation through efforts like that," the official said by telephone. He did not place too much importance on any change in rhetoric.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said last week there were some indications the talks could resume as early as February, although analysts have said this seems unlikely. Washington and North Korea have given no indication they are ready to back down; hence the interest in the newspaper commentary. Last week, President George W. Bush vowed to uphold U.S. law and continue the financial crackdown.

Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS think tank, said the North Koreans might find the crackdown an inconvenience, but Pyongyang was ready to hold out longer.

"I am not optimistic that the talks will resume any time soon or that we are going to get very far once we have them," Cossa said by telephone.

(With additional reporting by Jack Kim)



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