SOUTH KOREA: South Korea says North Korea flexibile on nuclear talks

South Korea says North Korea appears more willing to take some U.S. and South Korean incentives for Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons programme. North Korea appears more open to take some U.S. and South Korean incentives for Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons programme, South Korea said on Wednesday (January 24), which may spur talks on ending the North's atomic plans. North Korea's chief envoy to the long-standing six-country nuclear talks hinted on Tuesday (January 23) there could be a change to his country's demand for an end to a U.S. crackdown on its finances before it would accept any discussions on the nuclear programmes. "(South Korea and the United States) have put forward through close consultations an aggressive proposal for the implementation of the Sept. 19 joint statement, and North Korea has shown a flexible position on it," South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon told reporters referring to an agreement in principle reached at the six-way talks in September 2005 to end the North's nuclear programmes in return for aid and security guarantees. Song declined to elaborate on the proposal. He indicated North Korea may be looking favourably at the initial incentives offered in exchange for the North to start scrapping its weapons. North Korea has agreed to freeze its nuclear reactor and accept inspectors in return for energy aid, South Korean news reports said, but officials have declined to confirm the details of any proposal made to the North. "When the six-party talks resume, we should come up with a concrete agreement on the initial steps for the Sept. 19 joint statement," Song said during the briefing. The last round of the talks involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States in December ended with no progress after negotiations resumed following more than a year of deadlock over the financial crackdown. The talks were expected to resume early next month and make real progress, South Korean and U.S. envoys have said.

ITN Source | January 24, 2007

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