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Korean talks collapse, with North rejecting demands (IHT, 7.13)

High-level talks between South and North Korea collapsed in acrimony Thursday, as the North rejected South Korean demands for an end to missile tests and a return to negotiations on the North's nuclear program, and countered with a demand for more economic aid.

The failure, which ended the inter- Korean cabinet-level talks a day ahead of schedule, came as China appeared to have made little headway in its own efforts to get the North Koreans to the negotiating table and the United States and Japan called for the United Nations Security Council to act.

As it left the talks held in the South Korean city of Busan, the North Korean delegation accused the South of "parroting" American positions and warned that the South should be held responsible for "unpredictable, catastrophic consequences in inter-Korean relations."

South Korea had criticized the launching of North Korean missiles last week, which prompted calls, notably from Japan, for tough UN sanctions. Seoul urged the North to defuse tensions by returning to six-nation talks on ending its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

The North dismissed the South Korean statements. Instead, the North argued that its "army-first" policy of increasing its military capabilities "promotes the security for the South and benefits the general public of the South." (^^YEAH!!)

North Korea then asked the South to provide 500,000 tons of rice in food aid, as well as raw materials for shoes and textiles.

Seoul said that discussions of food aid were out of the question.

"Nobody in the South believes your army-first politics is helping us," the South Korean unification minister, Lee Jong Seok, the chief South Korean delegate, was quoted as telling his North Korean counterpart, Kwon Ho Ung, on Wednesday. "If you want to help our security, you should stop missile tests and your nuclear weapons program."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/13/news/missile.php

Korea Times will write tomorrow:

UN to Adopt Resolution on North Korea
 

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is expected to adopt a punitive resolution against North Korea as early as Saturday.

Japan, backed by the United States, is pressing for a draft resolution imposing weapons-related sanctions on the North, while China and Russia, Pyongyang’s allies, oppose it and want to introduce a milder resolution without sanctions.

The United Kingdom, Slovakia, Greece and France also support the Japan-proposed resolution calling for banning North Korean missile tests and preventing the regime from acquiring or exporting missiles, missile technology or weapons of mass destruction.

South Korea also has expressed objections to any resolution invoking the U.N. Charter’s Chapter 7, which serves as the basis for mandatory sanctions including military ones.

Seoul officials are employing full diplomatic efforts to settle the turmoil on the Korean Peninsula and coax North Korea to rejoin the stalled multilateral nuclear talks, which include the two Koreas, the Untied States, Japan, China and Russia.

Beijing and Moscow have expressed concern over the possible inclusion in the resolution of Chapter 7, which can be enforced militarily. Their draft text, instead, deplores the multiple missile launches by Pyongyang and urges the Stalinist regime to institute a moratorium.

Mindful of these objections from China and Russia, Japan could introduce a less stringent resolution, Japanese news reports said.

Japan is pressing ahead with urgency, wanting the resolution to be passed before the G-8 summit opening in Russia this weekend.

``We are not ready to spend a lot of time on these negotiations,’’ Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima told reporters. ``I think the G-8 summit is approaching and our position is to have a council decision by the end of the week.’’

He said it would be ``very difficult’’ to accept the Russian and Chinese resolution in its present form.

In New York, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told reporters consultations would continue with Russia and China on their rival, milder draft resolution introduced on Wednesday in response to North Korea’s seven missile tests on July 5.

Referring to Beijing’s failure to persuade North Korea to return to the six-party talks on ending its nuclear weapons program, Bolton said, ``so it looks to me like Pyongyang’s intransigent attitude remains unchanged.

``And if that's the case, I think dealing with these missile launches and the nuclear program impels us to move to a vote sooner rather than later,’’ he added.

White House spokesman McCormac said the center of gravity of diplomatic efforts is moving away from the region and more toward the United Nations. He said it was a positive development that everyone was talking in terms of a resolution, adding, ``It's just a matter now of talking about specific language.’’

The vote on the Japan-authored draft had been postponed to give China time to persuade Pyongyang to return to the disarmament talks and seek a diplomatic way out of the missile crisis.

But China’s ambassador to the United Nations said the North had yet to respond to Chinese concerns. ``Time is not a factor,’’ China’s U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said. ``I do hope that in the next few days, we can come up with an agreement.’’

Cabinet-level talks between the two Koreas ended without bearing fruit Thursday, after Seoul rejected the North’s demand for 500,000 tons of rice.

South Korea said it would suspend all food aid in response to the missile tests, and called for Pyongyang’s return to the nuclear talks.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200607/kt2006071417481011950.htm

Yonhap, 7.14:

Seoul still waiting for response from Pyongyang on U.N.move

Hankyoreh wrotes today:

Guardian/AP just a short while ago:

Japan Insists on Quick N. Korea Resolution