Hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough to the stalled six-way talks on North Korean nuclear program dimmed further Thursday, as the communist state flatly rejected the U.S. offer for an informal multilateral gathering here.
Upon arriving at the international airport in Kuala Lumpur, North Korean delegates to the ASEAN Regional Forum said they won't have any multilateral talks including a six-way meeting with the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan, unless Washington lifts its financial sanctions against Pyongyang.
"There won't be (six-way talks). The U.S. should lift the sanctions to have the six-way talks resumed," Jung Sung-il, vice director-general of North Korean Foreign Ministry's international organization bureau, told reporters. Jung serves as the delegation's spokesman.
Asked about whether North Korea will take part in a bigger multilateral meeting that includes Australia and Canada as well, he said "there will be no such thing."
Jung made the remarks as he arrived in Kuala Lumpur with the North's Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum.
The ill-looking Paek was whisked away by a sedan waiting at the airport. He gave no comments.
In a quick response, the United States has decided to hold a meeting with China, South Korea, Russia, Japan, Australia, Canada and Malaysia on Friday, an event expected to make North Korea feel more isolated.
China's speedy acceptance of such a multilateral meeting was deemed unusual. China is the closet ally of North Korea, but their ties have shown subtile signs of loosening recently, analysts said.
Earlier this month, China endorsed a United Nations Security Council resolution against North Korea for its recent missile tests.
The Bank of China, a Chinese state-owned commercial bank, was also found to have frozen North Korean accounts in an apparent retaliation for the North's suspected printing of counterfeit Chinese yuan.
Kuala Lumpur, July 27 (Yonhap News)
North Korea rules out any multilateral talks |
