North Korea dodged discussion of its nuclear program at Cabinet-level talks with South Korea, blaming the US for the stalemate in separate disarmament talks, officials said yesterday.
At the three-day ministerial dialogue that began on Wednesday, South Korea has repeatedly urged North Korea to end a dispute over US financial sanctions imposed on it and return to six-party talks.
North Korea, however, has refused to give a commitment, insisting it would talk only with the US, said Kim Chun-sig, spokesman for South Korea's delegation.
"North Korea says there has been no progress at six-party talks due to Washington's hostile policy," he said.
His comment followed a one-on-one meeting late on Wednesday between Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, Seoul's chief delegate, and his North Korean counterpart Kwon Ho-ung, a Cabinet councillor.
At talks yesterday, South Korea was to continue to press North Korea to agree to the early resumption of six-party talks grouping the two Koreas, China, the US, Japan and Russia, Kim said.
North Korea said on Sunday that the talks would be suspended indefinitely because of US financial sanctions imposed on it.
North Korea also took a lukewarm attitude over other thorny issues including the delayed opening of cross-border railways, prisoners of war and military talks, prompting South Korea to express regret.
Though economic exchanges have greatly increased following an inter-Korean summit in 2000, North Korea has balked at holding high-level military talks on easing tension, after two initial rounds.
"Our side expressed deep regret over the delayed implementation of [inter-Korean] agreements," Kim said.
In response, North Korea insisted South Korea dismantle what it called "barriers," referring to its joint military exercises with the US.
Seoul and Washington, which stations 32,500 troops in South Korea, have been military allies for decades and regularly stage joint military drills aimed at deterring North Korean aggression.
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