By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
South Korea's top diplomat said Thursday that North Korea should live up to its denuclearization pledge as early as possible to help maintain momentum at the six-party disarmament talks.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan called for resuming the six-way talks over North Korea's nuclear weapons program next month.
He said the disarmament process would lose steam after August as the Bush administration will not be able to take substantial steps because of the U.S. presidential campaign.
The remarks followed his strong prodding of the North to declare its promised list of all nuclear programs under a Feb. 13 disarmament-for-aid deal signed between North Korea, South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
``Given the political schedule in the United States, after August, it will become difficult for Washington to implement any significant agreements,'' Yu told South Korean correspondents in Washington, D.C. ``I'm pointing out that if this is taken into account, we really don't have much time.''
He refused to call August a deadline, while reiterating the six-party talks should move forward to their next stage.
The multilateral nuclear negotiations have been stalled for months since North Korea missed a Dec. 31 deadline to declare a complete list of its nuclear programs and activities, including an alleged uranium enrichment program.
Under the pact, the North will receive 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil or the equivalent aid and other political concessions from the five other countries, in return for disabling its key nuclear facilities and disclosing its nuclear programs.
Pyongyang says it gave the list to the U.S. government in November, a claim Washington has denied. The White House insists that the list address claims of a secret uranium enrichment program and allegations that the regime transferred nuclear technology to Syria.
On Wednesday, Yu and his U.S. counterpart Condoleezza Rice pressed Pyongyang to provide the nuclear list.
Yu said in a joint press conference after a meeting with Rice, ``Time and patience are running out.''
Rice also echoed patience is wearing thin, saying, ``We've been at this for quite a long time.''
Yu said he had discussed with Rice a range of issues of mutual concern, including Seoul's potential participation in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) aimed at interdicting ships suspected of carrying material that could be used for weapons of mass destruction.
Because of concerns it could lead to clashes with North Korea and spoil its engagement policy toward the communist regime, the previous, liberal Roh Moo-hyun government was hesitant to fully participate in the international ship-searching operations. South Korea has only observed PSI exercises, initiated in 2003, which have been participated in by some 70 nations around the world.
Rice also had asked South Korea to cooperate on the U.S.-led ballistic missile defense network, said Yu.
Yu opposed the U.S. move to use host nation funds in the relocation of U.S. bases in South Korea, saying the issue should be further discussed between the two nations.
Gen. B. B. Bell, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, reaffirmed the U.S. position during a congressional hearing earlier this month that funds for maintaining the USFK offered by the Korean government should be used in the relocation of the base.
Liberal lawmakers and progressive civic groups argue it runs counter to bilateral agreements.
Opponents claim that if the United States uses the host nation's burden sharing funds, it means South Korean taxpayers virtually foot most of the $10 billion bill for the relocation project, which is beneficial to both sides.
Under the Land Partnership Plan reached in 2002, the United States promised to foot the bill for moving the bases of the 2nd Infantry Division, north of Seoul, to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
On the other hand, Seoul is required to bear the cost for relocating the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul under the Yongsan Relocation Plan finalized in 2004.
About 28,000 American troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against North Korea, which threatens the security of South Korea with its nuclear and missile programs.
Earlier in the day, Yu met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley to map out agenda items for the summit between the leaders of the two nations next month.