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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Bush sends letter to North Korea | Bush sends letter to North Korea |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| US President George W Bush has sent a personal letter to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the White House has confirmed. | US President George W Bush has sent a personal letter to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the White House has confirmed. |
| The letter urged Pyongyang to honour its pledge to reveal all the details of its nuclear programme. | The letter urged Pyongyang to honour its pledge to reveal all the details of its nuclear programme. |
| The letter was delivered by US envoy Christopher Hill. | The letter was delivered by US envoy Christopher Hill. |
| Mr Hill has just visited North Korea to assess progress on the disabling of its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon as part of an aid-for-disarmament deal. | Mr Hill has just visited North Korea to assess progress on the disabling of its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon as part of an aid-for-disarmament deal. |
| US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said that Mr Bush had written to all leaders involved in the six-party talks about North Korea's nuclear programme. | US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said that Mr Bush had written to all leaders involved in the six-party talks about North Korea's nuclear programme. |
| "In these letters, the president reiterated our commitment to the six-party talks and stressed the need for North Korea to come forward with a full and complete declaration of their nuclear programmes, as called for in the September 2005 six-party agreement," he said. | "In these letters, the president reiterated our commitment to the six-party talks and stressed the need for North Korea to come forward with a full and complete declaration of their nuclear programmes, as called for in the September 2005 six-party agreement," he said. |
| The letter was handed over during Mr Hill's meeting on Tuesday with North Korea's foreign minister Pak Ui-chun. | The letter was handed over during Mr Hill's meeting on Tuesday with North Korea's foreign minister Pak Ui-chun. |
| Under an international deal, signed in February, Pyongyang pledged to declare all its nuclear programmes and disable Yongbyon by the end of the year. | Under an international deal, signed in February, Pyongyang pledged to declare all its nuclear programmes and disable Yongbyon by the end of the year. |
| Deal 'at a crossroads' | Deal 'at a crossroads' |
| News of the letter comes a day after Mr Hill and South Korean ministers expressed concern that North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programme might not be completed on time. | News of the letter comes a day after Mr Hill and South Korean ministers expressed concern that North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programme might not be completed on time. |
| Mr Hill said this declaration had to include details of the country's uranium enrichment programme. | Mr Hill said this declaration had to include details of the country's uranium enrichment programme. |
| "We want to make sure that when we do transfer, even the first draft, it is a credible effort," he said in Beijing. | "We want to make sure that when we do transfer, even the first draft, it is a credible effort," he said in Beijing. |
| "We need them to step up and show some trust in us and trust in the process," he said. | "We need them to step up and show some trust in us and trust in the process," he said. |
| South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said on Thursday that the deal was "at a crossroads where it may proceed towards a stable phase or to a rough road". | South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said on Thursday that the deal was "at a crossroads where it may proceed towards a stable phase or to a rough road". |
| The US has said it would consider removing North Korea from a list of countries it says sponsors terrorism if Pyongyang fully complies with the deal. | |
| Meanwhile negotiations are continuing over a date for the next round of six-party talks, between the Koreas, Russia, the US and China. | Meanwhile negotiations are continuing over a date for the next round of six-party talks, between the Koreas, Russia, the US and China. |
| Talks were due to restart this week but were called off because of to "scheduling problems", according to a US State Department spokesman. | Talks were due to restart this week but were called off because of to "scheduling problems", according to a US State Department spokesman. |
| Mr Bush once branded North Korea part of the "axis of evil", along with Iran and pre-war Iraq, and said the country was "an oppressive regime [whose] people live in fear and starvation". | Mr Bush once branded North Korea part of the "axis of evil", along with Iran and pre-war Iraq, and said the country was "an oppressive regime [whose] people live in fear and starvation". |
| North Korea's nuclear ambitions first attracted international attention in 2002 and in October 2006 Pyongyang shocked the world by testing a nuclear missile. | North Korea's nuclear ambitions first attracted international attention in 2002 and in October 2006 Pyongyang shocked the world by testing a nuclear missile. |