N. Korea can demonstrate denuclearization commitment by halting nuclear activities: U.S. envoy

By Chang Jae-soon

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korea can demonstrate its denuclearization commitment by halting its nuclear activities and placing a moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, a senior U.S. envoy for nuclear talks with Pyongyang said Tuesday.

Sydney Seiler, special envoy for the six-party nuclear talks, made the remark during a seminar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, rejecting a widespread view that the U.S. is insisting on preconditions for restarting the negotiations.

"I think maybe the characterization of preconditions is a term of convenience but it really doesn't speak to what our intentions are in terms of wanting to see six-party talks succeed," Seiler said. "Six-party talks, to be authentic and credible, would have to be first and foremost about denuclearization."

North Korea has called for an unconditional resumption of the nuclear negotiations, but Washington and Seoul demand that Pyongyang take concrete steps demonstrating it is serious about giving up its nuclear program once negotiations resume.

That stance reflects deep skepticism the U.S. and the South have about North Korea, a country with a track record of starting a crisis, coming to negotiations and reaching an agreement in exchange for economic and other concessions, then ditching the deal.

"What we want to say is what would denuclearization smell like? What would credible denuclearization negotiation, what fragrance would they give off? They would be marked by North Korea demonstrating in a highly reversible act. You know, hold on its current activities," Seiler said.

"In terms of what the other countries would do, imagine a scenario in which the DPRK announces its returning to six-party talks, it agrees to a moratorium on nuclear tests, on missiles launches, halt to its nuclear programs," Seiler said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's formal name. "The entire world would see that as a fundamental change in North Korea's orientation toward denuclearization."

The envoy also said that the U.S. has reached out to the North, but Pyongyang has rejected "every overture" the U.S. has made. Asked to elaborate on what overtures were made, Seiler cited Washington's offer to send a human rights envoy to Pyongyang to negotiate the release of detained American citizens, but did not provide further details.

But he stressed that the U.S. remains "flexible."

"We have not put preconditions either on sitting down and talking or on the topics that we put on the table," he said, adding that the U.S. is willing to listen to the North's "list of asks, complaints to and about us so that we continue to probe, continue to prod them to make the right decisions."

The problem is the North's "unwillingness to respond to our overtures," he said.

jschang@yna.co.kr
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