Global General

ROK says it is open to more Six-Party Talks

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-10-21 10:23

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK) is open to calls for resuming international talks aimed at ending the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear arms program if Pyongyang pledges to honor a 2005 deal, a senior official was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

The unidentified ROK Foreign Ministry official, speaking to domestic media, did not specifically link a resumption of the Six-Party Talks to the DPRK conceding it had sunk a ROK navy ship, signaling a possible softening of a hardline demand by Seoul.

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The ROK has previously said the DPRK must admit responsibility for sinking its ship in March and take "sincere measures" concerning the incident before it returned to the talks that have been stalled for two years.

"If the DPRK shows sincerity and makes a verbal pledge to implement nuclear disablement steps equivalent to 750,000 tons of heavy fuel oil it had received from the international community, we can accept the resumption of the six-way talks," the official was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

The DPRK had been given the fuel oil as initial compensation for steps it had taken through 2008 to freeze its nuclear activities.

"It must also allow the return of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors or declare moratorium on its nuclear facilities," the official was quoted as saying.

The ministry could not confirm the official's reported comments but said they did not mark a departure from Seoul's position.

Under a landmark deal reached by the DPRK and ROK, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, the DPRK agreed to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In a subsequent accord on implementing that deal, the DPRK agreed to shut down and seal its nuclear facilities and invite international inspectors to oversee disarmament steps.

The DPRK was offered economic aid in return for those steps, including an initial shipment of 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil.

Two years ago, the DPRK walked away from the Six-Party Talks which had begun in 2003, saying it would not deal with the United States which was intent on undermining its leadership.

But in an about-face, Pyongyang said in July that it was willing to return to dialogue.

Reuters