N. Korea slams US over food aid

By Kim Young-jin

North Korea lashed out Wednesday at the United States for “politicizing” a possible food aid package, but indicated it would consider taking denuclearization steps if Washington sweetened the deal.

In comments carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency, a foreign ministry official said that President Barack Obama’s administration had offered massive food aid in exchange for Pyongyang halting its uranium enrichment program (UEP), backing up widespread reports on the issue.

But the report did not reject the deal outright. “We will watch to see if the U.S. truly wants to build confidence,” the official was quoted as saying.

The North’s foreign policy and that for its nuclear program remain murky as Kim Jong-un, who the North calls its supreme leader, takes over following the death his father Kim Jong-il last month.

The late ruler’s death came amid reports that Pyongyang agreed during talks to suspend its UEP in return for 240,000 tons of food from the U.S. The suspension has been deemed a precondition for the resumption of multilateral denuclearization talks.

Washington says it had contact with North Korean officials directly after the announcement on Dec. 19 of Kim’s death regarding possible nutritional aid.

Regional players have held intensive discussions including some on how to resume the six-party talks — seen as the best way to manage the North. The Kim Jong-il regime walked away from the forum in 2009 in response to United Nations sanctions for its nuclear and missile tests.

The U.S. has urged the North to improve ties with the South before the talks resume.

Pyongyang has said that it would not deal with the Lee Myung-bak administration, slamming it for not sending an official delegation to pay respects to Kim Jong-il.