3-way talks in Beijing start today

WASHINGTON ― Nine years after the last North Korean nuclear crisis was settled and six months after the current one broke out, the United States and North Korea will be meeting in China’s capital today.
The U.S. State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher, announced early yesterday in Washington that multilateral talks involving the two countries and China to address North Korea’s nuclear ambitions will open today for a three-day run.
Mr. Boucher said the talks will be an opportunity to address seriously the situation created by North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. But he added, “We are not prepared to offer any inducements” to accompany U.S. demands that the North verifiably and irreversably end its nuclear programs.
The U.S. delegation will be headed by Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly. He arrived in Beijing late yesterday, as did North Korean officials led by Ri Gun, a deputy director general of the American affairs bureau in the foreign ministry. China, despite North Korea’s assertions that it was merely hosting the talks, will be a full participant, Mr. Boucher said. The Chinese had no comment. The media there remained largely silent about the talks, as did the Foreign Ministry.
The Chinese delegation is headed by Fu Ying, the Chinese foreign ministry’s director general for Asian affairs.
South Korea will not attend, to its dismay, but Seoul is dispatching a mid-level official at the Foreign Ministry today to consult with the participating countries.
The U.S. delegation also includes Michael Green, the Asian affairs director at the National Security Council, and officials from the Pentagon, State Department and the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In Beijing, Jo Myong-rok, North Korea’s top military official, is still meeting with Chinese military officials.

by Kim Chong-hyuk