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North Korea Proposes Talks With Washington North Korea Proposes Talks With Washington
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SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Sunday proposed high-level talks with the United States, saying that it was ready to discuss the easing of tensions and eventually, the removal of nuclear weapons from the peninsula. SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea proposed high-level talks with the United States on Sunday, saying that it was ready to discuss easing tensions and, eventually, removing nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula.
The North’s proposal indicated that it was moving toward negotiations after months of bellicose language, including threats to launch nuclear strikes at the United States and South Korea.The North’s proposal indicated that it was moving toward negotiations after months of bellicose language, including threats to launch nuclear strikes at the United States and South Korea.
In the past few weeks, North Korea has invited a special envoy from Japan and sent one to Beijing, where it told Chinese leaders that it was willing to return to the negotiating table. It had also proposed discussions with South Korea, though the initial agreement to hold talks in Seoul collapsed last week because of differences over the level of seniority of the delegations. In the past few weeks, North Korea has invited a special envoy from Japan and sent one to Beijing, where he told Chinese leaders that Pyongyang was willing to return to the negotiating table. North Korea also proposed discussions with South Korea, though the initial agreement to hold talks in Seoul collapsed last week because of differences over the level of seniority of the delegations.
Washington, however, has been skeptical of such overtures, given North Korea’s history of alternating between provocations and engagement. Washington has been skeptical of such overtures, given North Korea’s history of alternating between provocations and engagement.
“We have always favored dialogue and, in fact, have open lines of communication” with North Korea, Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said, according to Reuters. “We have always favored dialogue and, in fact, have open lines of communication” with North Korea, Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
“Our desire is to have credible negotiations with the North Koreans, but those talks must involve North Korea living up to its obligations to the world, including compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolutions, and ultimately result in denuclearization,” Reuters quoted Ms. Hayden as saying. “We will judge North Korea by its actions, and not its words and look forward to seeing steps that show North Korea is ready to abide by its commitments and obligations.” “Our desire is to have credible negotiations with the North Koreans, but those talks must involve North Korea living up to its obligations to the world, including compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, and ultimately result in denuclearization,” Reuters quoted Ms. Hayden as saying. “We will judge North Korea by its actions, and not its words, and look forward to seeing steps that show North Korea is ready to abide by its commitments and obligations.”
A spokesman of the North’s National Defense Commission said on Sunday that the United States would not raise preconditions if it was sincere in its efforts to defuse tensions on the peninsula. A spokesman of the North’s National Defense Commission said Sunday that the United States should not impose preconditions if it is sincere in its efforts to defuse tensions on the peninsula.
In its “crucial statement,” carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency, the commission’s spokesman said the United States can set the venue and date of any talks. In a “crucial statement” carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, the commission’s spokesman said the United States could choose the site and date of any talks.
The commission is the North’s top governing agency and is led by Kim Jong-un, the new North Korean leader. The commission is the North’s top governing agency and is led by Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader.
By mentioning the security of the “U.S. mainland,” North Korea appeared to challenge Washington to appease it with dialogue and concessions or face the prospects of North Korea continuing to expand its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programs. By mentioning the security of the “U.S. mainland,” North Korea has appeared to challenge Washington to appease the North with dialogue and concessions or face the prospect that North Korea will continue to expand its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programs.
Washington has said that North Korea is trying to build intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States and nuclear warheads small enough to mount on them, although American intelligence agencies differ over how close the North is to mastering such technologies. North Korea successfully launched a satellite into orbit on a three-stage rocket in December and conducted its third nuclear test in February in what it called an attempt to “miniaturize” a warhead. Washington has said that North Korea is trying to build intercontinental ballistic missiles that are capable of reaching the United States, and the nuclear warheads that are small enough to mount on them, although American intelligence agencies differ over how close the North is to mastering such technologies. North Korea successfully launched a satellite into orbit on a three-stage rocket in December and conducted its third nuclear test in February in what it called an attempt to “miniaturize” a warhead.
Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies in Dongguk University in Seoul, said that he did not “see any fundamental change in the North Korean position” in the statement. Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said he did not “see any fundamental change in the North Korean position” in the latest statement.
The North’s statement also said that the denuclearization of the peninsula must include “totally ending the U.S. nuclear threats” against the North, essentially repeating its long-held position that it would discuss dismantling its nuclear weapons programs but only as part of broader nuclear arms reduction talks in the region. The North’s statement also said that the denuclearization of the peninsula must include “totally ending the U.S. nuclear threats,” essentially repeating the North’s long-held position that it would discuss dismantling its nuclear weapons programs but only as part of broader nuclear arms reduction talks in the region.
The North Korean latest overture followed the summit talks between President Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, earlier this month and comes before Mr. Xi’s scheduled meeting with President Park Geun-hye of South Korea later this month. The latest North Korean overture comes after the summit meeting between President Obama and the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, this month. Mr. Xi is scheduled to meet with President Park Geun-hye of South Korea by month’s end.
Both Washington and Seoul have been trying to enlist the help from China, the North’s traditional ally, to check the North’s nuclear ambitions. And some analysts saw North Korea’s recent proposals of dialogue as attempts to create a rift between Beijing, which favored a negotiated end to the North’s nuclear crisis, and Washington and Seoul, which insisted that not only diplomacy but also economic sanctions were necessary to change the North’s course. Both Washington and Seoul have been trying to enlist the help of China, the North’s traditional ally, to check the North’s nuclear ambitions. Some analysts view North Korea’s recent proposals of dialogue as attempts to create a rift between Beijing, which favors a negotiated end to the North’s nuclear crisis, and Washington and Seoul, which insist that diplomacy as well as economic sanctions are necessary to change the North’s course.
With Sunday’s overture toward Washington, North Korea was telling the South, Professor Kim said, that if Seoul did not engage in discussions, Pyongyang would try to go around it and talk directly with Washington. Professor Kim said that with Sunday’s overture toward Washington, North Korea was telling Seoul that if it did not engage in discussions, the North would try to talk directly to Washington.
The United States and North Korea reached an agreement in February 2012 in which Washington promised 240,000 tons of food aid and Pyongyang agreed to place a moratorium on uranium enrichment and nuclear and missile tests. But that deal quickly collapsed when the North launched a long-range rocket in April 2012 and the United States, seeing the launching as a provocative test of missile technology, scrapped the food aid and led efforts at the United Nations to tighten sanctions against the North. The United States and North Korea reached an agreement in February 2012 in which Washington promised 240,000 tons of food aid and the North agreed to place a moratorium on uranium enrichment and nuclear and missile tests. But that deal quickly collapsed when the North launched a long-range rocket in April 2012 and the United States, seeing the launching as a provocative test of missile technology, scrapped the food aid and led efforts at the United Nations to tighten sanctions against the North.
That experience hardened Washington’s position. “The United States will not engage in talks merely for the sake of talks,” State Department’s senior envoy on North Korea, Glyn T. Davies, said Friday in a speech at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. That experience hardened Washington’s position. “The United States will not engage in talks merely for the sake of talks,” the State Department’s senior envoy on North Korea, Glyn T. Davies, said Friday in a speech at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Mr. Davies said Washington was open to improved relations with North Korea “if it is willing to take concrete actions to live up to its international obligations and commitments, though given the events of this past year, the bar for a resumption of meaningful engagement is certainly now higher.”Mr. Davies said Washington was open to improved relations with North Korea “if it is willing to take concrete actions to live up to its international obligations and commitments, though given the events of this past year, the bar for a resumption of meaningful engagement is certainly now higher.”
Mr. Davies was scheduled to meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Washington this week to discuss North Korea. Mr. Davies is scheduled to meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Washington this week to discuss North Korea.