South Korea to Urge DPRK to Abandon Alleged Nuclear Weapons Program

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 28, 2003

South Korea to Urge DPRK to Abandon Alleged Nuclear Weapons Program

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The South Korean government held a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Saturday on the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), urging Pyongyang abandon its alleged nuclear weapons program.

South Korean will use the chance of the upcoming 10th Inter-Korean Ministerial Meeting scheduled for April 27-29 in Pyongyang to persuade the DPRK to scrape its alleged nuclear plan, according to a news release of the Blue House, the office of the president, on the NSC meeting.

South Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun will lead a five-member delegation to the three-day inter-Korean cabinet-leveltalks.

The forthcoming 10th Inter-Korean Ministerial Meeting will be the first high-level official contact between Seoul and Pyongyang since South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun took office on Feb. 25.

The security meeting also reaffirmed that South Korea hopes the DPRK, the United States and China to continue to hold talks as an effort to end the nuclear standoff, and adding that South Korea should join the talks in future.

A three-day trilateral talks on the DPRK nuclear dispute participated by the DPRK, the United States and China concluded in Beijing on Friday morning, during which the parties concerned exchanged their views fully.

South Korea will enhance cooperation with other parties concerned while making efforts to resolve the nuclear row peacefully through dialogue by keeping in close contact with the United States, said the news release.

The nuclear crisis erupted last October when US officials alleged the DPRK was developing a uranium enrichment programs in breach of a 1994 Agreed Framework signed between the United Statesand the DPRK.

In November, Washington and its allies suspended oil shipments to the DPRK promised under the agreement, and the DPRK responded by moving to reactivate its frozen nuclear facilities.

Later on, the DPRK expelled the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and announced its withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January.

Pyongyang has repeatedly said that the only way to solve the nuclear issue is to hold bilateral talks with Washington and to sign a non-aggression treaty with the United States to guarantee the security of DPRK's sovereignty.

However, the US government insisted on addressing the DPRK nuclear issue within a multilateral format and refused to sign non-aggression treaty with Pyongyang.

Earlier in April, the DPRK announced that it would not stick toany particular format for the settlement of the nuclear issue if the United States scrape its anti-DPRK policy. The statement was widely viewed as a progress toward peaceful solution of the nuclear issue.

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