Negotiators have decided to extend the talks over North Korea's nuclear program till Friday given the growing possibility of hammering out a compromise, South Korea's chief envoy said Wednesday Chun Yung-woo said the parties concerned initially set Thursday as the deadline for this week's talks, but they agreed to continue the session as "serious and substantial consultations" are under way.
"Unlike the first plenary session, substantial negotiations are going on," Chun told reporters. "The participating nations reached a consensus that it is necessary to continue talks for a few more days rather than having a recess."
Chun's comments were understood to signal that the two main players, North Korea and the United States, were narrowing their differences on key sticking points.
He did not rule out the possibility that the ongoing session will continue through the weekend.
But he cautioned against optimism, saying he could not predict the outcome.
Wednesday's decision raised hopes of a dramatic breakthrough in the slow-moving talks among the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan.
The U.S. and North Korea continued a second day of bilateral meetings and parallel discussions on a dispute over Washington's financial sanctions against Pyongyang.
Earlier in the day, the South Korean envoy confirmed reports that the U.S. has offered a new set of sweetened incentives for North Korea, including hefty aid and security guarantees, to lure the hard-line communist country to abandon its nuclear arms program.
The U.S. "has formally made the detailed, concrete proposal" for North Korea, Chun told reporters.
Chun said the U.S. proposal would spur "real discussions" on narrowing the wide gap between Pyongyang and Washington. "Every party concerned has shown its cards, and we are discussing what would be the priority."
Diplomatic sources in Beijing said the U.S. offered to provide improved security guarantees, even in writing, if the North suspends the operation of its only plutonium-producing 5-megawatt nuclear reactor as the first "good-faith" move toward dismantling its nuclear weapons program.
The North's first step to disarm should be corroborated by inspections by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, the sources said.
In its four-stage proposal, the U.S. also offered a range of economic and humanitarian aid for North Korea in case the country declares all of its nuclear-related programs, they said.
"The U.S. has thrown up something positive," said one source, referring to the U.S. proposal.
There was no direct North Korean response but the sources said that if Pyongyang accepts even part of the U.S. proposal, that could lead to a major deal.
Large-scale food, energy and other economic aid could follow if North Korea declares all of its nuclear-related programs for U.N. inspections, the sources said.
In the third and fourth stage of the proposal, North Korea should dismantle all of its nuclear programs and put them under permanent outside inspections, the sources said.
Host China called for joint efforts by all the participants for progress.
"We should make concerted efforts to overcome all differences in order for the talks to move forward and reach practical results," Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said at his meeting with the chief delegates.
A ranking South Korean diplomat in Beijing said that, "The parties concerned would not want to return home empty-handed from the talks that resumed after a 13-month hiatus."
Beijing, Dec. 20 (Yonhap News)
Talks extended amid signs of breakthrough |
