Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
DP leader, US amb. at odds over six-nation talks
By Jun Ji-hye
Rep. Kim Han-gil, chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), and United States Ambassador to Korea Sung Kim appeared to be at odds over the possible resumption of the six-nation talks during a courtesy visit the latter made to the National Assembly, Tuesday.
Rep. Kim called for an immediate new start to the talks, while the ambassador maintained that North Korea should first show substantial intent to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula if it wants the talks to resume.
“I am paying keen attention on whether the six-party nuclear talks can recommence. But both the Korean government and the American administration seem to be showing chilly responses,” said the DP chairman.
He claimed that the U.S. had played a leading role in the talks in 2002, which were originally initiated for the purpose of achieving the denuclearization of North Korea. But, he also said, Seoul and Washington have both stated that denuclearization is now a precondition for the talks to begin.
In response, the ambassador said: “Korea and the U.S. have a strong will for denuclearization and the door for conversation is always open.”
But he added, when looking back on Pyongyang’s previous behavior, it is not surprising that many people have cast doubts on the isolated country’s sincerity as a negotiating partner.
“I expect them to show reliability first, and then major nations will welcome earnest conversation on denuclearization,” he said.
The talks have been halted since December 2012 after the Stalinist state withdrew from them. But the North recently signaled a desire for the discussions to begin again when Choe Ryong-hae, Kim Jung-un’s special envoy sent to China, said last week that the regime wants to return to the talks.