TOKYO—Secretary of State John Kerry said he would be willing to open a direct U.S. diplomatic channel to North Korea's leadership in a bid to reduce tensions in Northeast Asia, if Pyongyang signaled it would move to begin dismantling its nuclear-weapons arsenal.
The U.S. proposal marked a considerable softening by the Obama administration of its rhetoric toward North Korea after a massive display of U.S. military force on the Korean peninsula—including the deployment of B-2 bombers, F-22 stealth fighters and advanced missile-defense systems.
But by requiring a North Korean move in the direction of disarmament, the offer appeared to stand a limited chance of succeeding. The North on Sunday rebuffed an earlier offer for talks from South Korea, calling that overture a "crafty trick."
Mr. Kerry's offer to negotiate with Kim Jong Eun over the nuclear program, as well as sanctions on and aid to the country, came as the U.S., Japan and South Korea braced for the potential launch of a medium-range missile as soon as Monday to commemorate the birthday of Mr. Kim's late grandfather, North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung.
April 14, 2013, 3:35 p.m. ET
source:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324485004578422752063067998.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEFTTopStories
1 comment:
North Korea will not be willing to consider denuclearizing in order to open diplomatic channels. Even slight reductions in their nuclear arsenal would be a major step. In my view, diplomatic ties with N. Korea should be initiated in any case, in order to try and reduce tensions, at least in the short run.
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