Roughstuff's Korean War Archive
Korea News and Commentary
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Korea in Contemporary Affairs: The latest headlines and analysis.

Or as the NYTimes might say, all Korean news that is fit to print.

Here you will find articles about Korea that have appeared in the news recently, including highlights anc comments that I have inserted. Since links to the articles don't last very long, I make a complete copy with full documentation and credit to the source. Enjoy my comments, and feel free to submit articles and comments of your own. This Korean website belongs to everyone. I'll update this page many times per month.

Six nations reviewing progress on North Korean Deal.


North Korea Times
Wednesday 14th March, 2007
(Luis Ramirez )

Representatives of six nations taking part in the North Korean nuclear disarmament process are gathering in Beijing. The diplomats are checking on the progress of a preliminary agreement reached last month, in preparation for a resumption of the full six-party nuclear talks next week. Chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill arrived in Beijing Wednesday expressing cautious optimism on whether North Korea is on track to shut down its only nuclear plant. Pyongyang agreed to do that by mid-April, as a first step toward full nuclear disarmament, in exchange for energy aid and diplomatic concessions. Pyongyang officials this week have hosted the head of the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed Elbaradei, who met with North Korean officials in Pyongyang Wednesday. It was the first such visit to North Korea since the country expelled IAEA inspectors in late 2002, at the start of the nuclear crisis. Speaking to reporters at the Beijing airport Wednesday, Christopher Hill indicated Elbaradei's visit itself was reason for optimism. 'I think receiving Mr. Elbaradei was obviously a good sign, but we have to hear what Mr. Elbaradei has to say,' he said. Hill is due to meet with Elbaradei on Thursday, when working group meetings get under way among the six-party participants, which also include China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. The working groups are to discuss economic and energy cooperation, denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and northeast Asia security issues. On Monday, the chief delegates are scheduled to reconvene for a full session of negotiations. North Korea's head negotiator, Kim Kye Kwan, did not meet with Mohamed Elbaradei during the U.N. nuclear agency chief's visit to Pyongyang. Diplomats, however, did not appear concerned that this might signal a breakdown in the process. They said it was likely the North Korean official was busy preparing for the next week's six-nation talks

Roughstuff Comment: The tone of these talks and the prospects for success are much brighter than talks in the past, which have broken down, as always, by squabbling amongst the Allies (Japan, S. Korea, Russia, etc) in the face of North Korean firmness. As a diplomatic point, you can not accuse the North of stonewalling...after all, they are trying to get the best deal for their ruling elites, and have been successful for decades at shaking down the west for better terms on agreements. Right now though, the vested interest all the parties have in minimizing tensions might lead to substantial progress. China would prefer to focus on Taiwan and the Olympics; the US is tangled up in Iraq; Russia is more concerned with restricting NATO expansion; South Korea wishes to continue entente and reduce unification expense; and Japan does not want another nuclear neighbor.