President Roh, “Pyongyang Will Renounce Nuclear Programs if Enough Compensation is Given”

President Roh, “Pyongyang Will Renounce Nuclear Programs if Enough Compensation is Given”. November. 17, 2004 22:57. by Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com.

President Roh, who is making a tour of Central and South America, made clear in a paper interview with the Brazilian daily O Estado De Sao Paulo on November 15, “We judge that Pyongyang will renounce its nuclear programs if enough compensation is given.”

Cheong Wa Dae elucidated yesterday that President Roh stressed in the interview, “Some hard-liners argue that the North is only dragging time to develop nuclear weapons and it has no intention to negotiate. Yet, our government does not think so.”

In addition, President Roh criticized North Korea, which avoids participating in the fourth six-party talks, saying, “The most important factor in a negotiation is the trust among the parties. In this perspective, Pyongyang should deeply reflect that making a tool of the participation in the talks itself is never conducive to building trust among the negotiating parties.”

To the question on anti-American sentiment within Korea, President Roh answered, “At issue is not anti-Americanism but anti-American sentiment. Anti-American sentiment expressed due to a particular issue should be perceived as an active expression hoping for a level, healthy relationship with the U.S. and not as anti-Americanism as an ideology.”