N.Korea seeks nuclear talks return: South

By Martin Nesirky and Jon Herskovitz

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea appears to be signaling a
desire to return to stalled six-country talks on its nuclear
programs and to be interested in breaking the deadlock, South
Korea’s foreign minister said on Thursday.

Ban Ki-moon — a candidate for the post of U.N.
secretary-general — also told Reuters a visit next month by
Chinese President Hu Jintao to the United States could help
create the right atmosphere for the nuclear talks to resume.

Ban said North Korea had unfortunately linked U.S. action
against Pyongyang’s alleged counterfeiting of dollars to the
six-party talks, which have been stalled since last November.

U.S. and North Korean officials met earlier this month to
discuss the evidence Washington says it has of illicit
activities by the North. Those activities include money
laundering and drug trafficking as well as counterfeiting
currency.

“We hope that North Koreans have realized all the serious
implications of all these illicit activities,” the minister
said. “It seems to us the North Koreans are also very much
interested in making a breakthrough in this stalled, deadlocked
situation.”

But he said it was impossible to say now when the talks
might resume.

“Let us see. I am not in a position at this time to give
you any positive dates or timeline but we are trying to do our
best,” he said in an interview at his ministry in central
Seoul.

He said North Korea had recently declared its willingness
to adopt international financial regulations, join a financial
task force and punish anyone involved in the drug trade.

“These kind of announcements and measures taken by North
Korea seem to suggest they are trying to send out some messages
to us, particularly the United States,” Ban said. “We need to
be creative and try to be flexible to make this process resume
and continue.”

North Korea has stated in recent weeks it would be
unthinkable to return to the nuclear talks while Washington is
trying to topple its leaders through the financial measures.

It has also used trademark rhetoric to criticize the U.S.
military presence in the South and threatened retaliation as
U.S. and South Korean troops gear up for annual exercises next
week.

“Now that the U.S. intention to stifle the DRPK has become
very clear, the DPRK will react to it with a strong measure for
self defense,” the North’s foreign ministry spokesman was
quoted as saying on Thursday by the official KCNA news agency.

DPRK is short for the North’s official name, the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea. Pyongyang has in the past increased
rhetoric before finding a face-saving compromise.

CONVERGENCE OF OPINIONS

Ban said U.S. authorities were scrutinizing documents taken
from Macau’s Banco Delta Asia. Washington suspects the bank
helped launder North Korean funds from illicit activities.

“We hope that they will be able to finish this process as
soon as possible and try to take some necessary actions,” said
Ban, referring to easing of restrictions on the bank.

“In such a case I think the North Koreans may be interested
in trying to come back to the dialogue table.”

Asked about his campaign to succeed Kofi Annan as U.N.
secretary-general, Ban said it was not an Asian virtue to sing
one’s praises but it was Asia’s turn to run the organization
for the first time in more than three decades.

“Asia, comprising 3 billion people and 52 countries, I
think, should be able to produce a credible and qualified
candidate who could really serve as a distinguished
secretary-general,” he said.

“I can tell you generally I have been receiving favorable
and positive responses, but I need to continue this kind of
process until such time when member countries, the United
Nations, will select somebody.”

(Additional reporting by Jack Kim)