US Nuclear Envoy Arrives in Seoul for Talks on North Korea
Text of report in English by Japan’s largest news agency Kyodo
[By Cho Kyung Wook]
Seoul, Sept. 30 Kyodo – Top US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for talks with his South Korean counterpart to try to put the stalled six-party talks on North Korea’s denuclearization back on track.
Upon arriving at Inchon International Airport, Hill, who is assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, said “We are going to talk about what we need for verification (that North Korea is ending its nuclear ambitions). The plan was always to get a verifiable declaration.”
“We don’t have a verification plan, so we had a problem. Let’s see if we can solve the problem,” he said.
Hill is to travel to North Korea later in the week and is reportedly due to visit Pyongyang on Wednesday.
He is to meet in Seoul later Tuesday with his South Korean counterpart Kim Sook, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs.
Hill is also due to meet with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts in Beijing and Tokyo after his visit to the North Korean capital.
His visit to North Korea comes amid growing concerns over Pyongyang’s slated intention to resume its nuclear programme.
In Washington, US State Department spokesman Robert Wood said, “Obviously, we’re very concerned about some of the reversal of disablement activities that the North has been engaged in.”
Wood was referring to North Korea’s recent moves to restart a nuclear facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex.
North Korea stopped disablement work at the Yongbyon complex last month and began work to restore the facilities this month to counter a US decision to delay Pyongyang’s removal from its blacklist of terrorist sponsors.
Pyongyang last week ordered inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to leave the country, telling the UN nuclear watchdog it will begin reintroducing nuclear materials into its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon.
The six-party process involves the two Koreas, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
Originally published by Kyodo News Service, Tokyo, in English 0859 30 Sep 08.
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