US Vows to Continue Diplomacy on DPRK Nuclear Issue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, January 01, 2003

US Vows to Continue Diplomacy on DPRK Nuclear Issue

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The United States has vowed to continue a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), saying that no new economic sanctions against Pyongyang is being considered for now, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

The United States was "prepared to pursue a bold a dialogue aimed at having a better relationship with North Korea (DPRK)," the newspaper quoted State Department spokesman Philip Reeker as saying in Washington on Monday.

Reeker said that US Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke aboutthe DPRK nuclear issue with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan over the last weekend, and with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on Monday morning.

The spokesman also disclosed that James Kelly, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, planned to travel to South Korea and other countries in the region to discussways of responding to the DPRK nuclear issue.

He said that the United States would wait until the International Atomic Energy Agency meet on Jan. 6 before deciding whether to bring the DPRK situation before the United Nations Security Council.

He said there was no suggestion by anyone in the administrationthat the United States should impose new sanctions on the DPRK.

"The president has all his options at his disposal," Reeker said, "At this point, nobody has talked about sanctions."

Speaking to reporters in Crawford, Texas, where President George W. Bush was on vacation, White House spokesman Scott McClellan reiterated the US position that the DPRK must first reverse course before getting help from the United States.

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