South Korean President Park Geun-hye called on Friday (January 22) for a meeting of five countries, excluding North Korea, to discuss that country’s nuclear program alongside long-stalled “six-party talks” that include Pyongyang.
Park’s comments on Friday come amid a flurry of diplomatic exchanges involving Washington and Beijing as the international community seeks to impose fresh sanctions on North Korea for its fourth nuclear test on January 6.
“In the past, six-party talks had usefulness as a framework to resolve North Korean nuclear issues via dialogue. However, the talks have not been held for a while. Even if the talks open but don’t help denuclearize North Korea, the question of being effective will be brought up,” Park said in remarks at the presidential Blue House.
China, Pyongyang’s main ally, has been calling for a resumption of so-called six-party talks among the two Koreas, China, the United States, Japan and Russia, aimed at curbing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
Numerous efforts to restart the six-party talks have failed since negotiations collapsed following the last round in 2008.
“Relevant parties, although it is not an easy matter, should find out various and creative approaches such as trying five-party talks excluding North Korea,” Park said.
Park also said China’s role was essential in adopting strong sanctions at the United Nations Security Council, repeating her calls for Beijing to act.
“I expect China to take an effective measure that can make North Korea realize the development of nuclear weapons is futile and that it should join the international community like Iran has,”
she said.
Earlier this month, North Korea said the country conducted a hydrogen bomb test as a means of self-defense against a U.S. threat of nuclear war and had a sovereign right to do so without being criticized, the state news agency KCNA reported. (Reuters)