By Kim Young-jin
Seoul’s former top nuclear negotiator on North Korea’s nuclear program Friday expressed cautious hope for the upcoming second round of talks between Pyongyang and Washington slated for next week.
But Wi Sung-lac ― recently tapped as ambassador to Moscow after serving for more than three years as point man for the six-party talks on the North’s denuclearization ― cautioned that it could be a while before the long-stalled forum resumes.
Seoul and Washington have been meeting separately with Pyongyang since July in a bid to convince it to take denuclearization steps as a way to resume the multilateral forum.
"Throughout the two rounds of inter-Korean denuclearization talks in July and September, I expected that South and North Korea could reach a certain level of agreement," he said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. "In that context, I think I am not so pessimistic about the second meeting between North Korea and the U.S."
U.S. officials will meet with their North Korean counterparts beginning Monday in Geneva, a continuation of the exploratory talks.
Wi’s remarks come as sides remain far apart on how to resume the forum that also includes Japan, Russia and host China. Pyongyang walked away in 2009 over international sanctions for its nuclear and missile tests.
Seoul and Washington want the North to halt its nuclear activities, including its uranium enrichment program, and allow IAEA inspectors to monitor the suspension, while Pyongyang still insists on a resumption without preconditions.
While he warned that resumption might not be imminent, he said the contact so far represented progress. "While the six-party talks have not resumed yet, I think we have entered into a process for the negotiations to be restarted," he said.
Despite the moves, most analysts believe the North remains intent on keeping the program that is its best bargaining chip and claim to deterrence. But with elections in Seoul, Washington and Moscow as well as a leadership change in Beijing, they say players are motivated to get back to talks as a means to maintain stability.
Tensions soared last year after the North waged two attacks on the South and disclosed its uranium enrichment program.
A series of moves have slightly improved prospects for the talks in Geneva though most remain pessimistic on the overall prospects for talks. Earlier this week North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reiterated his country’s wish to return to talks without preconditions and Washington announced it had named a fulltime envoy for North Korean affairs.