By Son Key-young, Seo Soo-min
Staff Reporters

SEOUL--A U.S. delegation, headed by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, requested South Korean officials to squarely look at the changing international security environment and boost their understanding on the U.S. missile defense plan, which is one element of the ``strategic framework’’ envisioned by the Bush administration, at a roundtable session here recently.

Armitage arrived here from Tokyo as one of the three high- level U.S. delegations touring the world to explain and seek support for Bush’s new security vision based on smaller nuclear arsenals and stepped-up defenses capable of intercepting missiles.

From the U.S. side, the roundtable session was attended by Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, National Security Council nonproliferation director Richard Falkenrath, Air Force Brig. Gen. Kevin Chilton, and others.

Among the participating South Korean officials were Deputy Foreign Minister Yim Sung-joon and Deputy Foreign Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations Choi Young-jin.

According to Armitage, the strategic framework, under formulation by the Bush administration, consists of four elements: nonproliferation, counterproliferation, missile defense and the unilateral reduction of nuclear arsenals below the level envisioned by START II.

Officials here said that nonproliferation refers mainly to diplomatic efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, while counterproliferation might involve military strikes to stop proliferation.

Armitage stressed that his visit is aimed at briefing South Korean officials on the concept and receiving their questions, instead of presenting a final U.S. decision and wooing its support.

He also expressed willingness to discuss the matter with any interested parties, including North Korea, which is regarded as one of the target states of the missile defense (MD) scheme.

In particular, he stressed that the strategic framework was not designed to counter threats from North Korea, but to cope with the change of the global security environment.

Armitage didn’t rule out the possibility of deploying the Aegis-guided cruisers in this part of the world, as the missile defense, genuinely a multi-layered system, could involve the deployment.

Officials here are concerned that the U.S. plan might touch off criticism from North Korea and China, which are already responding hysterically to the U.S. missile shield plan.

Already, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il told Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson that his nation will abide by a moratorium on missile tests until 2003 in a gesture regarded as an olive branch, as Washington is in a final stage of reviewing its policy on the North. However, he made it clear that Pyongyang will continue to export missiles, as it is a form of trade between nations.

During the session, Armitage stressed that the Bush administration had not yet come up with a complete structure on the missile defense scheme.

While expressing understanding on the U.S. efforts, meanwhile, Seoul stopped short of giving it any clear backing.

Before entering into the roundtable discussion, Armitage and his entourage members met Defense Minister Kim Dong-shin and Unification Minister Lim Dong-won.

Armitage told reporters that the North’s lack of hard currency is believed to have driven it to sell missiles to other countries despite the extension of a moratorium on missile tests until 2003.

``Regarding the continued sales, it seems to suggest to us the desperate financial straits North Korea is in,’’ he told reporters prior to a meeting with Minister Lim.

North Korea’s National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il told the visiting EU delegation last week that he would keep the missile moratorium until 2003, but also said that his country would go on selling missile technology to other countries.

``At the meeting with Minister Lim, Armitage agreed with our view that the North’s indication to extend the missile moratorium is an expression of its willingness to resume talks with the U.S.,’’ said Deputy Unification Minister Rhee Bong-jo in a briefing.

At the one-hour meeting, Lim reiterated that North Korea-U.S. talks and South-North dialogue are closely linked, while calling for the swift resumption of Washington’s talks with Pyongyang.