North Korea: South Korea gave the United States a "road map" of ideas yesterday to help resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis after Pyongyang's weekend decision to soften its stance on talks about its suspected atomic ambitions.
In Washington, President George W. Bush said on Sunday prospects looked better for multilateral talks to end a standoff which began last October when the United States said the communist North had admitted to a covert nuclear programme.
"I think that people have got to know that we are serious about stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction and that each situation requires a different response," Mr Bush told reporters. "We are making good progress in North Korea."
South Korean media, analysts and the presidential Blue House were also cautiously optimistic. The won rose against the dollar in response to the North's shift and a rising stock market.
But newspaper editorials highlighted the risk of expecting a quick-fix solution, given the North's unpredictable track record. "It is hasty to expect talks with North Korea will bring a great advance in solving nuclear issues," said the daily Chosun Ilbo. "On the contrary, we may face even more serious crisis, but the priority now is to take steps to start the conversation."
South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan met US ambassador Thomas Hubbard in Seoul yesterday, and they discussed the prospects for "diplomatic talks" with Pyongyang, an official at the ministry's North American Affairs Department said.
Officials declined to give details of the "road map" and it was unclear whether Mr Yoon had personally handed the proposals to Mr Hubbard, but Yonhap news agency said ideas included a freeze in Pyongyang's nuclear programme and energy aid for the North.
National Security Adviser Ra Jong-yil said the US-led Iraq war had been a key factor in prompting North Korea's shift.
"It seems that North Korea is becoming a bit more flexible, including in the way it communicates," Mr Rasaid. "It appears that the war in Iraq set an important precedent in determining the geopolitical landscape." Mr Ra is President Roh Moo-hyun's top security adviser. Mr Bush and Mr Roh are to meet next month in Washington for talks.
North Korea has denied admitting it has a nuclear programme, and has been insisting on bilateral talks with Washington.
But, in a significant shift, it said on Saturday it would consider any form of dialogue if Washington made a "bold switchover" in its policy toward the North.
"We view this as an indication by North Korea of the possibility of accepting multilateral talks to resolve the nuclear issue, and we plan to continue efforts to resolve the nuclear problem peacefully," the Blue House said.
The North did not specify what would constitute a "bold switchover" but the energy-starved state has demanded aid and security guarantees in the past. The use of the word "bold" mirrored Mr Yoon's recent call for Washington to make a "bold initiative" and the Mr Bush's own June 2001 offer of a "bold approach".
Mr Bush, who has lumped North Korea, along with Iraq and Iran, in an "axis of evil", said he was optimistic a diplomatic solution could be found. Like Mr Bush, South Korean officials and media were cautiously optimistic about the North's announcement, which came just days after US-led forces ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in a war the South Korean president said had "petrified" Pyongyang.
"We expect this little change can be a turning point to take away the war mood overshadowing the Korea peninsula," said the newspaper Dong-a Ilbo. "Of course, it is only a beginning of a long and tough tunnel to seek nuclear issue solutions."
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told a news conference the North's announcement was welcome. Mr Fukuda said he did not know what form any talks might take but, if multilateral talks did take place, Japan would be an "indispensable member". - (Reuters)
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