North Korea Might Talk, IF The US Will Respect It

[Cpl Kendall]

CBC.CA

[quote]
North Korea might talk, but wants respect
Last Updated Fri, 17 Jun 2005 09:32:37 EDT
CBC News

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il says his country may return to nuclear disarmament talks next month if it gets the respect it is due, according to a South Korean politician who visited him.

Kim Ââ€â€

[Robert Walper]

Anybody else tired of the same old bullshit spewing from NK mouth? At this point I just want something to happen to get us a step closer to peace or disarmament. But NK just seems to want to play for more time.

Can't say the idea of the NK possessing nuclear capabilities reassures me. Although honestly I haven't really followed this news trend myself.

[Josh]

Face-saving games. Whatever.

Daffy little fucker.

[frigidmagi]

the United States is respecting the North as a partner

WTF? Legally speaking we're still in a state of war, we're not partners by a long strech of the imagation and are never going to be. Hell our end goal is the extinction of the Northern political system via union with the South (do I have to say we would only accept this unification under southern rule?) This precludes any notion of partnership!

Fucking ass is off his rocker.

[Josh]

WTF? Legally speaking we're still in a state of war, we're not partners by a long strech of the imagation and are never going to be. Hell our end goal is the extinction of the Northern political system via union with the South (do I have to say we would only accept this unification under southern rule?) This precludes any notion of partnership!

Fucking ass is off his rocker.

It's matters of face and presentation. It's all part of the ploy for negotiation. Every time we inch back on something like this, we increase his standing.

The fact is that North Korea does present us with a strategic quandary- while we could wipe them off the map if it came to a fight, the overall cost to us would be a political catastrophe both domestically and abroad. Little Kimmy thus has status all out of proportion with his actual power, especially given the strategic realities on the ground.

(Those being that we could totally splatter the NK army if we weren't handcuffed by having to defend Seoul.)

[Cpl Kendall]

US response to NK.

U.S. says North Korean offer lacks 'realism'
Last Updated Fri, 17 Jun 2005 18:46:00 EDT
CBC News

North Korea is willing to return to stalled six-party nuclear talks in July, but only after the United States recognizes it as a partner, a South Korean minister has said on his return from Pyongyang.

* INDEPTH: North Korea

Kim Jong-Il. (AP file photo)

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young had been in Pyongyang to meet North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Il in unscheduled talks.

"The North's leader, Kim Jong-Il, said if the United States firmly recognizes North Korea as a partner and respects it, North Korea can return to six-party talks, even in July," he said.

But according to Chung, Kim Jong-Il said his country needs further consultations with the U.S.

Chung added that Kim Jong-Il confirmed an inter-Korean agreement on removing nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula still stands. "Chairman Kim Jong-Il said the inter-Korean agreement on denuclearizing the Korean peninsula is still valid," Chung said.

"He stressed this is the last will of [North Korea's late] president Kim Il-Sung."

The meeting came as Chung led a delegation to Pyongyang marking the fifth anniversary of the historic summit between Kim Jong-Il and then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

In Washington, the U.S. played down the significance of the North's offer. "The important thing to keep in mind," said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli, "is that until we have a date, we don't have a date.

"What we are looking for – the real issue for us – is getting back to the talks."

The U.S., said Ereli, is looking for specific details. "Realism is a date, you're sitting at the table, you are talking seriously and substantively, that's our bottom line, that is what we are looking for."

One solid agreement to come out of the latest North-South talks was a deal to resume family reunions of Koreans. Those reunions, which have been stalled for the past year, are scheduled to resume in August.

Looks like the US is calling NK on their BS.