DPRK requires security guarantees

After a series of crises on the Korean Peninsula in 2010, both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States have shown a positive attitude to ease tensions by holding two rounds of high-level dialogue meetings respectively in New York in July and in Geneva in October.

Even though the third high-level dialogue scheduled in December was postponed due to the unexpected death of Kim Jong-il, bilateral contacts have not been terminated. Representatives of the US and the DPRK will hold the third high-level dialogue in Beijing on Thursday.

It will be the first contact between the US and the DPRK since Kim Jong-il's death. It will sustain a mechanism to resolve the nuclear issue, which is critical to the stability and peace on the peninsula. However, the live-fire military drills by the Republic of Korea (ROK) near a disputed sea boundary with the DRPK despite the latter's threat to respond with a "merciless attack" will cast a shadow over talks.