North 'listens' to protest of its bomb program

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North 'listens' to protest of its bomb program

North Korean delegates all but ignored objections from South Korea's unification minister to the North's continued nuclear development program as a four-day inter-Korean ministerial meeting began in Pyeongyang Saturday.

North Koreans "listened" to the minister, Jeong Se-hyun, according to Rhee Bong-jo, the Unification Ministry spokesman for the meetings. An official familiar with the discussions said "listened" described a near-complete lack of reaction on the part of the North Koreans.

Mr. Jeong is leading a delegation of senior government officials and business representatives for talks planned to discuss economic cooperation. But he spent "60 percent of his remarks objecting to any nuclear development program by the North," Mr. Rhee said. Mr. Jeong characterized the disclosure of the North Korean program as "regrettable," in light of the joint summit declaration of June 2000, Mr. Rhee said.

Kim Ryong-song, the North Korean cabinet counsel heading the Pyeongyang delegation, had no comment about the nuclear issue as he emerged from the Sunday morning meeting.

A government official in Seoul said that progress on dialogue for continued exchanges and assistance to the North would be limited unless it is preceded by some expression by Pyeongyang of its determination to resolve the nuclear issue.

North Korea's news media remained silent about the nuclear issue.

by Lee Young-jong

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