N.Korea seeking return to nuclear talks, says South

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea appears to be signaling its
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 unfortunately North Korea had linked U.S. action
against Pyongyang’s alleged counterfeiting of dollars to the
six-party talks, 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. “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.”