(3rd LD) S. Korea, U.S. urge N. Korea to denuclearize in "two plus two" talks

(ATTN: UPDATES with quotes from joint news conference in paras 6-7, 13)
By Chang Jae-soon

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States urged North Korea on Friday to give up its nuclear program and cease provocative actions as their top diplomats and defense chiefs held security talks designed to demonstrate the firmness of their alliance.

The two sides made the appeal in a joint statement after holding what is dubbed a "two plus two" meeting that brought together South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Defense Minister Han Min-koo, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.

"The ministers expressed their solidarity in the face of North Korean threats and urged North Korea to denuclearize and refrain from provocations," the statement said. "The ministers underscored that North Korea cannot succeed in pursuing economic development without denuclearization."

It was referring to the North's "Byongjin" policy of pursuing economic and nuclear development at the same time. The ministers said the destitute North will remain isolated internationally unless it relinquishes all of its nuclear and missile programs.

They also urged the North to return to "credible and meaningful" nuclear negotiations, renewing a demand that the communist nation first take concrete steps demonstrating it would be serious about giving up its nuclear program once negotiations reopen.

"We remain open to dialogue with North Korea, but there is no value in talks just for the sake of talks," Kerry said during a joint news conference with Yun. "North Korea must demonstrate that it is serious about denuclearization, and we need to be certain that it is prepared to live up to its international obligations and to abide by international norms of behavior."

The two sides also expressed their intention to expand three-way security cooperation with Japan to cope with threats from North Korea while agreeing to continue consultations on three-way information sharing measures, the statement said.

Friday's meeting came a day after the two countries held annual defense ministers' talks and announced an agreement to continue to keep the U.S. in control of South Korean troops in case of war with North Korea until the South builds capabilities strong enough to counter nuclear and missile threats from the North.

The agreement to postpone the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul, which had been set for next year, underscored Washington's security commitment to Seoul amid increased nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

On Friday, Kerry and Yun welcomed the agreement, the joint statement said. It also said that the U.S. provided assurance to the South that it will continue to remain committed to the defense of South Korea and the stability of the region.

The four top officials also agreed on the need to lay the groundwork for unification of the divided Korean Peninsula as envisioned in South Korean President Park Geun-hye's initiative for peaceful unification, according to the statement.

They also welcomed increased international attention to the North's human rights violations and hailed the "significant progress" the two sides made in negotiations to revise a civilian nuclear energy cooperation pact, the statement said.

Friday's meeting was the third such session between the two countries after the first one in 2010 and the second in 2012. Unlike the previous meetings, which were dominated by discussions on North Korea, however, this week's meeting put a greater emphasis on bolstering cooperation in coping with global problems, such as the Islamic State (IS) militant group and the Ebola epidemic.

"In 2010, we had focused on our response to North Korean aggressions. Today, we were able to focus on our alliance beyond the Korean Peninsula, on global issues as well," Yun said at the news conference. "This demonstrates that the Korea-U.S. alliance has gone beyond serving as a lynchpin for peace and stability in Asia-Pacific region. It is now a global partnership."

The U.S. has called for greater contributions from friends and allies to its efforts to "degrade and ultimately destroy" IS and curb the Ebola outbreak. South Korea has also tried to expand its roles in addressing global challenges.

Seoul has provided humanitarian assistance for the anti-IS fight and is considering additional contributions. The country has also promised to dispatch a team of medical personnel to help tackle the Ebola outbreak after pledging US$5.6 million in financial assistance.

On Friday, the two sides stressed their commitment to "combat the scourge of Ebola" and assist the people of Iraq against the threat of IS and foreign terrorist fighters, the joint statement said. The U.S. also thanked the South for pledging to provide US$4 million in additional humanitarian aid to Iraq, it said.

jschang@yna.co.kr
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