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South Korean President "Confident" of Resolution at North Nuclear Talks

Posted on: Thursday, 25 August 2005, 12:00 CDT

Text of report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap

Seoul, 25 August: President Roh Moo-hyun Thursday [25 August] said he was confident the ongoing six-party talks will lead to an end to North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions, pointing out the smooth negotiations among North Korea, the United States and other involved nations.

"I am confident the issue will be resolved."

Roh was speaking in a programme on state-run KBS television to mark the midpoint of his single five-year term which falls on Thursday.

The multinational nuclear talks that reopened in late July after a 13-month hiatus remained deadlocked in early August after the United States continued to call for North Korea to give up all of its nuclear activities, including the use of nuclear technology for electricity production and other civilian needs.

The fourth round of the talks were recessed to resume in the week of 29 August in Beijing as the sides involved are actively involved in negotiations to lay the groundwork for resumption as scheduled.

"Don't you think we can reach an agreement on the peaceful use (of nuclear energy)?" Roh said.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon had referred to the issue in New York the previous day, saying "I discussed the matter with Secretary of State Rice in an in-depth manner and believe South Korea and the US have found enough common ground."

"I believe basically there is no difference of opinion between South Korea and the US, although that doesn't mean the sides' positions are in accord," Ban said.

On the security ties between Seoul and Washington, Roh said he saw no problem in his government's pursuit of more equal footing in the decades-old alliance, despite some friction in the process.

"We have presented a timetable for the return of the right to operation of the South Korea-US Combined Forces and depending less on intelligence matters, despite some spending on it," he said. "In the process, we should have some friction."

Roh, however, dismissed the possible friction as "quite manageable".

The president said some US lawmakers are complaining about South Korea's pursuit of less dependence on the US, but added "Those in the (US) Congress are free to talk and our newspapers do not have to write 'So, we are in danger'."

Roh said South Korea's relations with the United States are gradually moving to a "more reasonable and balanced" one. In that context, Roh urged the nation to accept the influence of the United States to a certain degree "because it is a reality".

"We cannot succeed in reality if we oppose the United States every time statements come out of the US," he said. "You know the anti-US sentiment in which we first opposed the US without any consideration."

It is the second time in just two days that Roh has referred to the significant influence exerted by the United States not only in the Korean Peninsula, but also in the global world.

On Tuesday, Roh denounced liberal activists who are calling for the demolition of a statue of US Gen Douglas MacArthur in the western port city of Incheon that was built to commemorate his contribution to the defence of South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War.

"I do not know the reason why the statue should be demolished," Roh said in a meeting with a group of senior journalists based in provincial cities. "I like it that they would recognize history as it is and I do not understand why they are trying to abolish all of the past now."

Roh dismissed any effort to dismantle the statue as an "unwise act" which would not be helpful to South Korea's relationship with the United States.

Elected on various liberal election campaign pledges, one of which included a call for a more equal relationship with the United States, which stations 32,500 US troops in the South Korea, Roh has often been viewed as being at greater odds than his predecessors with the US due to his pursuit of greater independence from Washington in the North Korean nuclear and other security issues.

Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

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