Stephen Bosworth
U.S. special representative on North Korea |
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The government said Wednesday that it supported the U.S. decision to send a special envoy to North Korea, expressing hope for the early resumption of six-party denuclearization talks.
The U.S. State Department said it had informed the secretive state that Stephen Bosworth, special representative on North Korea, would travel to Pyongyang by the year's end.
"The government supports a visit by the special envoy to North Korea for the resumption of six-way talks and to secure the promise of denuclearization, including the Sept. 19 joint statement," said foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young.
The accord was adopted in 2005 during the fourth round of the six-party forum in Beijing, calling for the North's commitment to abandoning all nuclear weapons and programs.
Moon continued that the government "expects a bilateral meeting between Washington and Pyongyang to make contributions to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue."
Reclusive North Korea sought a two-way meeting with the U.S in an apparent attempt to overcome its economic predicament and international isolation.
It invited Bosworth to Pyongyang but Washington has remained silent.
The U.S. finally accepted North Korea's invitation, with Philip Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public affairs, saying that the visit would be made "at an appropriate time."
"We've told North Korea that we are prepared for Ambassador Bosworth and a small interagency team to visit Pyongyang at an appropriate time not yet determined," he told reporters.
But he noted that the visit will take place in the context of the "six-party talks."
"From our standpoint, the purpose will be to facilitate an early resumption of the six-party talks and to secure North Korea's reaffirmation of the joint statement of the six-party talks, including verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner," he said.
Rumors on a possible bilateral meeting between the two countries grew after North Korean leader Kim Jong-il indicated that his regime was willing to have both bilateral and multilateral talks.
Reports said that Ri Gun, director-general of the U.S. affairs bureau of North Korea's foreign ministry, and Sung-Kim, U.S. negotiator to the six-party talks, had agreed to hold two rounds of bilateral talks before the isolated state comes back to the six-party forum.
ksy@koreatimes.co.kr
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