South Korea optimistic North Korea nuclear deal will be implemented

SOUTH KOREA: South Korea’s point man on North Korea voiced optimism Thursday that agreements reached in a breakthrough deal on curbing North Korea’s nuclear weapons program will be implemented.

The hardline communist country pledged at the international disarmament talks in Beijing last month to shut down its sole operating nuclear reactor by April 14 in exchange for energy aid and other political concessions.

“I believe that the agreements reached under a Feb. 13 deal will be implemented,” Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung told reporters at a regular press briefing.

Lee also called for patience and a “step-by-step” approach in carrying out the deal to achieve a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. Later Thursday, U.S. President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun spoke by telephone, primarily discussing economic issues but also touching on North Korea.

According to Roh’s spokesman Yoon Seung-yong, Bush reaffirmed his commitment to quickly resolving the nuclear dispute with North Korea.

Roh called for patience in moving forward with the disarmament process, Yoon said, according to a posting on Roh’s Web site.

Roh spoke to Bush from Qatar, where he was wrapping up a series of visits to countries in the Middle East.

Lee’s comments come amid efforts by the U.S., China and North Korea to resolve a financial dispute over the North’s US$25 million (euro18.7 million) frozen in a Macau bank, which has stalled the disarmament process.

The North last week walked away from the disarmament talks and vowed not to return until all of the money was released from Banco Delta Asia.

Daniel Glaser, deputy U.S. assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, met Chinese and North Korean officials in Beijing earlier this week, but no significant progress was reported in transferring the funds to the North.

In 2005, the U.S. accused Banco Delta Asia of being complicit in the North’s alleged counterfeiting of US$100 bills and money laundering, leading the bank to freeze US$25 million in North Korean accounts.

The talks, which involve the U.S., China, the two Koreas, Russia and Japan, were expected to resume in the coming weeks.

Seoul, Friday, AP