U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak reaffirmed in Seoul on Thursday that they will seek a "definite and comprehensive resolution" to the North Korean nuclear issue. Mr. Obama urged the North to return to the six-party nuclear talks, adding that he will send special representative for North Korea policy Stephen Bosworth to the country on Dec. 8.
In early October, North Korean leader Kim Jong Ill, meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Pyongyang, expressed his country's "readiness" for multilateral talks, including the six-party talks, "depending on the outcome" of bilateral talks with the United States. North Korea withdrew from the six-party talks last April to protest a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning its long-range rocket launch the same month. North Korea then detonated a nuclear device in May.
Mr. Bosworth's visit to the North will mark Washington's first bilateral talks with Pyongyang under the Obama administration. It is hoped that his meeting with North Korean officials will help to resuscitate the six-party talks. Utmost care should be taken so that North Korea does not use the meeting as a means of causing divisions among the five other parties — the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea and Russia — and of getting benefits through improved ties with the U.S., and possibly with South Korea, without making clear concessions on the nuclear issue.
It is encouraging that Mr. Obama is clearly aware of North Korea's modus operandi in the nuclear negotiations. He said, "We (Mr. Obama and Mr. Lee) want to break the pattern that existed in the past, in which North Korea behaves in a provocative fashion, and then returns to talks for a while and then leaves the talks seeking further concessions."
Mr. Obama supported Mr. Lee's "grand bargain" proposal to provide large-scale economic assistance and security guarantees to North Korea in return for complete nuclear dismantlement. But concrete details of the proposal have yet to emerge. Close coordination among the countries concerned will be indispensable to making it work.
We welcome your opinions. Click to send a message to the editor.
Language study
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test
Upgrade your nihongo before the next proficiency test
Business
Business support in Tokyo for foreign affiliated firms
Guidance and info from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Transportation
Tokyo Transfer Guide
Metro resource for fares, travel time and transfers
Here's your resource for locating the educational institutions and curriculum best suited to you and your goals.
Find apartment and homes that best suit your lifestyle, income and time frame in Japan.
About us | Work for us | Contact us | Privacy policy | Link policy | Registration FAQ Advertise in japantimes.co.jp. This site has been optimized for modern browsers. Please make sure that Javascript is enabled in your browser's preferences. The Japan Times Ltd. All rights reserved.
Read Full Article »