US Dismisses 3rd NK Nuke Test
By Kim Young-jin
Staff Reporter
The United States Tuesday dismissed a report that North Korea is preparing to carry out a third nuclear test in May or June ― an act that would further complicate international efforts to resume negotiations on the North's denuclearization.
``We're skeptical of that report,'' U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters in Washington, D.C. ``Obviously, it's an area that we watch intensively. And we will keep watching for evidence of any provocative activity. But I would be skeptical of that report.''
Earlier in the day, South Korean broadcaster YTN quoted an unnamed diplomatic source as saying the North began preparations for the test in February, which would reportedly involve improved technology from its prior two tests, carried out in 2006 and 2009. The second test resulted in U.N. sanctions on the reclusive state.
Seoul's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan also downplayed the report, telling reporters, ``If North Korea was making such preparations, there would be related circumstances that can be detected. ... There is no intelligence on such circumstances.''
The report came as diplomatic efforts to coax the North back to the six-party talks on its denuclearization ― which Pyongyang left after the sanctions were imposed ― are in limbo while a multinational investigation is underway to determine the cause of the sinking of the South Korean Navy vessel Cheonan.
The exact cause of the incident has yet to be determined, but the South Korean investigation team said last week an external explosion likely caused the incident ― increasing speculation that a North Korean torpedo or mine was responsible. The North has denied any link to the incident.
According to Yoo Ho-yeol, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Korea University, the North is waiting to see how the Cheonan situation plays out before moving to resume the talks ― making a test highly unlikely.
``The path they are taking at this moment appears to be to resume the six-party talks after the incident is resolved,'' Yoo told The Korea Times. ``When it is, they will try to make contact with the U.S. and China to have the talks in Beijing in June or July.
``They have already shown the possibility they have a nuclear bomb, and the US has recognized this. If they were to conduct a nuclear test, it would not be possible to expect the six-party talks to resume."
As prerequisites for its return to the table, Pyongyang has demanded discussion on a peace treaty to officially end the Korean War (1950-1953), which ended in an armistice, and the lifting of the U.N. sanctions. The talks also include South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia.
It has been speculated that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il will visit China in the near future, where it is expected he will attempt to leverage a return to the six-party talks, which are hosted by China, in return for aid.
But the investigation near the western sea border has put efforts to bring the North back to the negotiations on hold, both U.S. and South Korean officials have said.
``It is hard to say how exactly the two will be linked, but I believe it will be difficult to resume the six-party talks, at least until the Cheonan incident is resolved to a certain extent,'' Minister Yu said. He added that if the North is found culpable, resumption could be further suspended to ``make North Korea pay a price for its actions.''
Yu pointed out, however, that a delay in the resumption of the talks, which began in 2003, would not necessarily represent a major setback to the process.
``The six-party talks have been going on for the past six or seven years, and we believe there will not be any serious problem even if their resumption is delayed by a month or two. We must first focus our attention on investigating the Cheonan incident,'' he said.