What was discussed in 3rd round of NK-US talks in Beijing?

What was discussed in 3rd round of NK-US talks in Beijing?. February. 25, 2012 00:19. mungchii@donga.com lightee@donga.com.

North Korea and the U.S. ended a third round of high-level talks in Beijing Friday. The first of their kind since Kim Jong Un took power after the death of his father Kim Jong Il, the meeting ended more smoothly than expected, according to experts.

What both sides discussed will be made public after the U.S. talks to South Korea and Japan. So observations differ among experts. Some say Washington and Pyongyang agreed on certain issues, while others say most of the obstacles to resumption of the six-party denuclearization talks have been removed.

After the meeting in Beijing, U.S. special envoy to North Korea Glyn Davies told reporters at Westin Beijing Chaoyang Hotel, “Some progress has been made. (The talks) were serious and useful,” adding, “Nonproliferation, humanitarian issues and denuclearization were on the agenda.”

He avoided answering whether a breakthrough was made, however, saying, “We have to assess where (both countries) stand and where we can go by bringing what has been discussed in the talks to Washington.”

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan headed for the North Korean Embassy in Beijing ignoring reporters.

The two officials are known to have held extensive discussions on diverse bilateral issues Thursday and Friday. Washington seemed to have little expectations for the talks by calling them “exploratory” dialogue, but reportedly turned active as the meeting progressed.

The U.S. had merely sought to identify Kim Jong Un’s will to have talks, but made efforts to reach an agreement due to the North’s “sincerity,” said experts.

The key lies in how sincere North Korea is about the U.S. request to suspend the operation of a uranium enrichment facility in Yongbyon and allow international nuclear inspectors to return to the facility, preconditions for the resumption of the six-party talks.

Washington might have suggested giving 300,000 tons of food to North Korea, which the communist country urgently needs for political stabilization. A source said, “Prior to the talks, the U.S. coordinated the content of the negotiation with South Korea,” adding, “I understand that what was discussed in the talks fell in the range of the coordination.”

Others say, however, that Pyongyang might have stressed its will to have dialogue with Washington and proved it with an active attitude. Nevertheless, securing momentum to continue the bilateral talks despite no knowledge of the intention of the new North Korean leader was an achievement, they added.

Davies also said, “North Korea had talks with us relatively early after political change and engaged in in-depth discussion on all agenda items. This in itself is positive and big progress.”

A diplomatic source said, “When predicting the results of the talks, the prospects of the North breaking down the talks to justify its conduct were presented,” adding, “At least the talks didn’t seem to progress like this pessimistic scenario.”

Other experts, however, presented a more positive analysis, saying the talks removed most of the obstacles to the resumption of the six-party talks. This is because Washington and Pyongyang agreed on most pending issues in the second round of the talks, and that the latest dialogue was held to build on the agreements. They also said North Korea`s prime goal is the stabilization of its communist regime.

An expert in Beijing said, “Ahead of North Korea`s scheduled declaration of itself as a powerful country April 15, the new government in Pyongyang needs an opportunity to assuage its people and manage diplomatic relations in a stable manner.”